Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflower)

A classic native perennial, Echinacea purpurea, also called purple coneflower, is a popular, upright wildflower that blooms profusely from mid summer to fall. A versatile and adaptable choice for a variety of home gardens, purple coneflower attracts butterflies, hummingbirds, and a variety of birds and bees. Growing best in full sun to part shade, Echinacea purpurea can be used in meadows, prairies, perennial beds and borders, and even forest edge environments, and they also work great for cut flower arrangements. Echinacea purpurea ranks 3.6 out of 5 possible points in Mt. Cuba Center's Trial Gardens for their attractiveness to pollinators and adaptability to various conditions.

Typically growing 2-4 feet tall and 18-24" wide, purple coneflower freely self-seeds and can become aggressive spreader if not thinned out. However, if you're looking to do a large-scale pollinator garden or meadow rehabilitation project, this spread can be a great attribute; care should be taken with planting in small spaces. Echinacea purpurea is drought and deer tolerant, thrives in dry to medium moisture, well drained soils, but can tolerate rocky, sandy, or clay-rich soils. Spent flowers can be deadheaded to promote additional blooms, though dead flowers can also be left to provide seed for birds. Plants can be thinned and propagated by division in early spring or fall.