Echinacea purpurea

Common name(s): purple cone flower

Description: a perennial wildflower native to the eastern U.S. and the only species of echinacea that can be reliably cloned from cuttings (though we grow ours from seed). Showy, long-blooming purple-pink flowers in summer that can be deadheaded to promote further blooms or left standing to provide a source of seed for birds and wildlife over the winter. One of three species that is commonly used in traditional medicine and to produce herbal teas.

Height: to 4 ft. Spread: to 2 ft.

Position: full sun and well-draining soil

Uses: medicine, culinary- herbal teas, cut flowers, ornamental, to attract pollinators

Winter Hardiness: to 0 F and below

Drought: adapted to 3+ months of summer drought

Distribution: from Texas eastward and north to Eastern Canada