Coneflower

Purple coneflower is so easy to grow and attractive and draws so many birds and butterflies that you simply must grow it, if you have the room. Valued for its large sturdy daisylike flowers with dropping petals, this prairie native will spread easily in good soil and full sun. It is bothered by few pests or diseases. It's a great cut flower -- bring in armloads of it to brighten the house. And birds and butterflies love it. Allow it to spread so that you have at least a small stand of it. Let the flowers go to seed and the goldfinches will love you, coming to feast on the seeds daily. Butterflies and helpful bees also love purple coneflower.

It used to be that rosy purple or white were the only choices in flower color. Recent hybrids have introduced yellow, orange, burgundy, cream, and shades in between.

Light:

Sun

Zones:

3-9

Plant Type:

Perennial

Plant Height:

2-4 feet tall

Plant Width:

1-2 feet wide

Landscape Uses:

Containers,Beds & Borders

Special Features:

Flowers,Fragrant,Winter Interest,Cut Flowers,Attracts Birds,Attracts Butterflies,Drought Tolerant,Deer Resistant,Easy to Grow

Top Varieties

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'Bravado' purple coneflower

Echinacea purpurea 'Bravado' is a robust plant that grows to 4 feet tall. It bears loads of 4- to 5-inch-wide blooms that range in color from light pink to magenta rose. Petals stand out for maximum display. Zones 3-9
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'Fragrant Angel' coneflower

Echinacea purpurea 'Fragrant Angel' has 5-inch-wide white daisies with an orange center cone. It grows 4 feet tall and 2 feet wide. Zones 3-9
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'Green Envy' coneflower

Echinacea 'Green Envy' offers mauve-purple petals tipped in lime green. It grows 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide. Zones 3-9
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Harvest Moon coneflower

Echinacea 'Matthew Saul' blooms in bright orangey-yellow with a golden-orange cone. It grows 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide. Zones 3-9
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'Magnus' purple coneflower

Echinacea purpurea 'Magnus' blooms in bright rose with a brownish-red cone and petals that stand out rather than droop. It grows 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide. Zones 3-9
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Mango Meadowbrite coneflower

Echinacea 'CBG Cone 3' offers peachy-yellow flowers with a slightly darker orange stem. It grows 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide. Zones 3-9
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Orange Meadowbrite coneflower

Echinacea 'Art's Pride' is also sold as Art's Pride coneflower. It blooms in bright orange with dark cones and grows 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide. Zones 3-9
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Pale purple coneflower

Echinacea pallida is perfectly at home in a naturalized meadow, with pale pink straplike petals and a skyrocket central cone. It grows 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide. Zones 4-8
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Pixie Meadowbrite coneflower

Echinacea 'CBG Cone 2' has flat, pink, dark-eyed daisies on 18-inch-tall plants. It grows 2 feet tall wide. Zones 3-9
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Purple coneflower

Echinacea purpurea offers mauve-purple flowers all summer on a 5-foot-tall, 2-foot-wide plant. Zones 3-9
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'Tiki Torch' coneflower

Echinacea 'Tiki Torch' is a remarkable selection with bright orange fragrant flowers in summer and autumn. It grows 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide. Zones 4-9
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Garden Plans

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Butterfly Garden
Patio Garden
Privacy Garden
Sensational Summer Garden Plan
Mailbox Garden
Beautiful Butterflies Garden Plan
Extra-Easy Sun-Loving Garden Plan
Shared Garden
Shared Property Line Bed
Prairie Garden
No-Fuss Sun-Loving Garden Plan
Bird-Friendly Garden
Beginner Garden for Full Sun
Burst of Summer Color Garden Plan
Really Red Garden Plan
Fall Favorites Garden Plan
Easy Streetside Garden Plan
Tough-as-Nails Perennial Garden Plan
No-Fuss Bird and Butterfly Garden Plan
Easy-Care Summer Garden Plan

Plant It With

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Lamb's-ears

Fuzzy gray lamb's ears makes a great partner for coneflower in sunny dry sites. Pink or purple forms coordinate especially well with the magenta blooms of lamb's ears.

Globe thistle

Steely blue globe thistle teams well with purple coneflower. Both have long-lasting blooms through the summer.

Russian sage

The purple spires of Russian sage make an excellent backdrop for coneflower. Its airy silvery stems with purple blooms contrast nicely with the large daisy flowers of coneflower.

Propagation

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Seed
Division