Purple coneflower

Sun

Full sun is best; tolerates light partial shade, but flowers less and may lean.

Water

Water regularly during the first growing season. Established plants tolerate some drought, but flower better with deep watering during prolonged dry spells.

Soil

Well-drained loam, sandy loam or improved clay; tolerates a broad pH range. Avoid waterlogged soil, especially in winter.

Height

2-4 ft (0.6-1.2 m)

Spread

1.5-2 ft (0.45-0.6 m)

Flowers

Summer into early autumn; pink-purple petals surround a prominent orange-brown cone. Individual plants vary in colour and petal droop.

Foliage

Rough, dark green, broadly lance-shaped to oval leaves, with toothed edges; lower leaves have long stalks. Top growth dies back for winter.

Growth

Moderate; usually forms a substantial flowering clump within two to three growing seasons.

Care needed

Low

• Plant with the crown level with the soil surface, leaving room for air to circulate.
• Water deeply during establishment and prolonged drought; let the soil surface dry between waterings.
• Apply a thin layer of compost in spring; avoid heavy feeding, which encourages floppy growth.
• Mulch lightly to conserve moisture, keeping mulch away from the crown.
• Divide crowded clumps in spring if flowering declines; plants in full sun rarely need staking.

Pruning. Remove faded flower heads during summer to encourage further flowering, but leave some later heads for birds and winter structure. Cut dead stems close to ground level in late winter or early spring before new shoots lengthen.

Late winter

Leave standing seed heads until birds have used them, then begin clearing dead stems.

Early spring

Finish cutting back before new growth lengthens; check emerging shoots for slug damage.

Spring

Plant or divide clumps, water them in thoroughly and apply a light compost dressing.

Summer

Water during prolonged dry spells and remove faded flowers if you want more blooms.

Late summer

Check for distorted, green flowers or abnormal shoots; remove plants showing aster yellows.

Autumn

Leave some seed heads standing; collect ripe seed if you want to raise more plants.

• Plant repeated groups through a sunny mixed border for a consistent summer rhythm.
• Combine with little bluestem or switchgrass in prairie-style planting for contrasting flower and grass forms.
• Pair with catmint, Russian sage or blazing star for a purple-and-blue pollinator border.
• Use in a sunny wildlife garden where seed heads can remain standing through winter.

Garden styles it suits: Cottage garden, Native meadow, New perennial (prairie), Wildlife garden, Pollinator garden and Midwest prairie.

Plant it with: Little bluestem, Switchgrass, Blazing star, Black-eyed Susan, Catmint and Russian sage.

Wildlife: The open flowers provide nectar and pollen for bees, butterflies and other insects. Ripe seed heads feed finches and other seed-eating birds, especially within its North American native range.

• Slugs and snails can eat emerging shoots: inspect at dusk, remove pests and use wildlife-conscious controls where needed.
• Aster yellows causes green, distorted flowers and abnormal growth: dig out and discard affected plants, including roots; there is no cure.
• Crown and root rot occur in persistently wet soil: improve drainage or move healthy plants to a better-drained position.
• Powdery mildew can coat leaves in dry, crowded conditions: improve spacing, water the soil rather than the foliage and remove badly affected debris.

Not known to be toxic to cats, dogs, horses or people; no part is generally regarded as poisonous. Eating large amounts may still cause stomach upset, and people sensitive to the daisy family can have allergic reactions.

• Pale purple coneflower (Echinacea pallida)

  Usually has much narrower, more strongly drooping pale pink petals and narrower leaves than purple coneflower.

• Narrow-leaved purple coneflower (Echinacea angustifolia)

  Usually shorter, with narrow leaves and shorter flower petals; purple coneflower typically has broader, toothed leaves.

• Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)

  Usually has yellow or orange-yellow petals around a dark brown centre, rather than pink-purple petals around an orange-brown spiny cone.

Echinacea comes from the Greek word for hedgehog, referring to the prickly flower cone, while purpurea means purple.

Propagation. Sow seed in autumn outdoors, or give spring-sown seed a cold, moist treatment to improve germination. Divide established clumps in spring. Seedlings vary, so divide named cultivars rather than relying on seed to reproduce their features.

Accepted botanical name

Echinacea purpurea

In the US and Canada

Native in the lower 48 states. Introduced in Canada.

Native range

Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana and Michigan.

Measured

Soil pH 6.5 to 7.2. Average height 70 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.