Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
[eh-kih-NAY-shah per-per-EE-ah]

Deciduous Perennial Upright in the Asteraceae Family
 
Buy Purple Coneflower
Size Notes Price Availability
#1 gallon Field $11.58 Frequently available
38 Flat Field $81.87 Frequently available
50ct Plug Seed Flat Field $162.75 Frequently available
Tray of 10 4" pots Field $57.35 Frequently available
Tray of 10 4" pots Field

Full Foliage

$65.85 Frequently available

 
Available September 25
Size Notes Price Availability
#1 gallon Field $19.25 Estimated Arrival Sep 25
 
Teaser Large daisy-like flowers with slightly drooping purple-pink petals surrounding large coppery orange cone on rigid stems.

Purple Coneflower is an herbaceous perennial in the Asteraceae (daisy) family that is native to central and eastern USA. It may grow 3 to 4 feet tall and produce  5 inch pinkish-purple flowers that mature in early summer through mid-fall. Leave some of the flower heads on to produce seeds for the birds.

This perennial is native to prairies, meadows and open woods in the midwest & southeastern US.  Because it is easy to grow, with showy flowers, attracts butterflies, and is deer resistant, hundreds of cultivars  (many not purple) have been introduced for the home garden.  The scientific name comes from the spiny central disk which looks like a hedgehog (Echino).

This is a popular and long-blooming plant for use in the native garden, meadows, pollinator gardens and naturalized areas. 

 

Pros

  • Love hot, sunny, dry conditions
  • Deer resistant
  • Heat/drought tolerant
  • Plant looks attractive even after flowers have gone by without deadheading
  • Seeds can feed birds over winter months
  • Tolerant of poor soil (but bloom best in nutrient-rich soil)
  • Make great cut flowers

Cons

  • Won’t thrive in shade
  • Don’t like wet feet
  • Need deadheading to get more blooms
 

Plant Data

Mature Size 3 - 4 feet tall. 18 - 24 inches wide.
Growth Rate Moderate
Sun Exposure Partial Shade - Full Sun
Moisture Tolerance Dry - Medium: Dry to Moist. Drought tolerant once established.
Zones 3a - 8b (Usually hardy to -40° F)
Tags Attracts Birds, Attracts Butterflies, Attracts Hummingbirds, Attracts Pollinators, Attracts Wildlife, Container, Deciduous, Deer Resistant, Drought Tolerant, Dry, Extended Bloom Time, Formal Garden, Full Sun, Good for Beginners, Good for Butterfly Garden, Good for Cottage Garden, Good for Cut Flowers, Good for Rain Garden, Illinois Native, Low Maintenance, Medium, Most Popular, Native to North America, Normal Soil, Partial Shade, Partial Sun, Perennial, Popular For Fall, Prairie Garden, Rabbit Resistant, Showy Flowers, Tolerant of Moist Soil, Tolerant of Poor Soil, Well-Drained Soil, Winter Interest Deer Resistant Perennials, Large Perennials, Partial Sun Perennials, Pink or Red Flowering Perennials, Summer Blooming Perennials, White Flowering Perennials
Bloom Period June to August
Flower Color Purplish Pink
Animals That Use It

Nectar:

Seeds:

 

Related Articles

 

More Info from Experts

Commonly Planted with...

Bee Balm, American Basket flower, Gentian, Cardinal Flower, Phlox, Goat's Beard, Coreopsis, Beard Tongue.

Photos of This with...

Karl Foerster Feather Reed Grass, Creme Caramel Coreopsis, Cheyenne Spirit Coneflower, Cantaloupe Coneflower, Sombrero Baja Burgundy Coneflower, Sombrero Blanco Coneflower, Yellow Coneflower, Alba White Coneflower, Queen Of The Prairie, Daylily, Papaya Popsicle Red Hot Poker, Munstead English Lavender, Prairie Blazing Star, Floristan White Spike Gayfeather, Showstar Blackfoot, Russian Sage, Wave Blue Petunia, Weeping Willow, East Friesland Meadow Sage, Rhapsody in Blue Wood Sage,
 
Want More photos of this plant? Try Google Image Search!
 


Pricing and Availability History

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Purple Coneflower Available Soon

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Limited Availability

We try very hard to source exactly what you’d like, but sometimes growers run out of plants! While this variety is a great deal at the price shown, we know that it has limited availability. If you want the plant even if it might be more expensive, or in a different size or quantity -- after you place your order, just send us a quick note at help@northshoreplantclub.com. Then, we’ll try to get you some version of this from one of our growers. And if we can’t get it from anywhere, of course, we’ll send a refund!


Field-Grown vs. Greenhouse-Grown Plants

Plants which are well-adapted to our local climate are most often field-grown (outside). Field-grown plants are generally cheaper and have the advantage of already somewhat acclimated to our cold winters, but that means they’re not artificially far along in the spring and tend to bloom at the normal time in our area.

Spring annuals and tender perennials are typically grown in Greenhouses so they can be ready and luxurious exactly when customers want them. Some perennials are also “forced” into early bloom in greenhouses. In May, there can be a very big difference between field-grown and greenhouse-grown plants of the same type. The latter typically look good right away (so they’re a great choice where that’s important), but we typically pay a premium for it.


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To secure the best prices for club members and make sure we know the current plants available from each nursery, we take orders only a couple of times a month.

Shoot us an email at help@northshoreplantclub.com, and we'll be happy to talk about plants or let you know when it's time to buy them!


No Pricing or Availability Right Now

We order from a rotating cast of the best nurseries in the Great Lakes region. It looks like we've offered this plant in the past, but the nurseries we're working with this week don't appear to have it in stock at the moment.

Our goal is to bring as many plants together under "one roof" as possible, so we'll try hard to make it available again in the future!