Echinacea purpurea is an iconic meadow classic. It blooms in early summer on the farm and can bloom until September. It reaches up to 4 feet in height and prefers full to partial sun in a range of medium wet to medium dry soil conditions, plus it is drought tolerant. In turn, it is well suited to most home gardens. Purple Coneflower is a favorite of bees as is evident in the pictures.
Many species of butterflies including Monarchs, swallowtails, skippers, Red Admirals, American Ladies, and fritillaries use it as a nectar source. It is also a larval host plant to several butterfly and moth species including the Silvery checkerspot butterfly, the Wavy-lined emerald moth, the Sunflower moth and the Ottoe skipper. If you are a bird lover like we are, the seed heads are much loved by a variety of birds in the fall. They are their own bird feeder! It’s a popular medicinal plant with immunostimulatory and anti-inflammatory properties, and some studies suggest it can help with cold symptoms, anxiety, depression, and other conditions. Native Americans even used it to treat snake bites! If you would like to add this beauty to your native garden, we’ve got you covered! We have time slots available which you can easily schedule on our website! We look forward to seeing you!
Visit the product page on our website to purchase and for a bit more detail.
🌿 Botanical and Horticultural Profiles
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Provides a comprehensive plant profile, including habitat preferences, morphological details, and ecological relationships.
🔗 wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ECPU (You will need to search for the common or scientific name)
Missouri Botanical Garden – Plant Finder
Offers insights into cultivation practices, plant characteristics, and notable cultivars.
🔗 missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=a860
🐝 Ecological and Pollinator Information
USDA Plant Guide
Describes habitat management practices and the plant’s role in supporting pollinators.
🔗 plants.usda.gov/DocumentLibrary/plantguide/pdf/pg_ecpu.pdf
🌎 Medicinal Research and Uses
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)
Discusses the potential health benefits and safety considerations of echinacea supplements.
🔗 nccih.nih.gov/health/echinacea
PubMed Central – Pharmacology, Phytochemistry, and Analysis
Offers an in-depth review of the pharmacological properties and chemical constituents of Echinacea purpurea.
🔗 pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4441164/
📚 General Reference
Wikipedia – Echinacea purpurea
Offers an overview of the species, including taxonomy, cultivation, ecological interactions, and traditional uses.
🔗 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echinacea_purpurea