![]() Echinacea pallida is the pale coneflower that is a pale purple-pink color with droopy flowers. There are many different species and varieties of coneflower to choose from for many colors and growing habits. The flowers bloom throughout the summer into late summer. The flowers on a purple coneflower are a purple aster or daisy type of flower with an orange center. The plants grow up to 3 feet tall and wide. Coneflower leaves are dark green, oval shaped with serrate or toothed margins and they become smaller and more lanceolate shaped at the top of the plant. It is a herbaceous perennial, meaning that it comes back from the roots every year. Purple Coneflower, Echinacea purpurea, is one of the many different species of coneflowers readily available at local nurseries and garden centers. This is why coneflower is a great choice for the July plant of the month. These plants bloom well through the summer months and continue through to the fall. ![]() The coneflowers are very drought tolerant and adapted to very hot conditions that we see in the summer. After the flowers go to seed, goldfinches will often move in and will devour the seeds.One of the staples of summer perennials is Coneflower. They also have the added benefit of providing natural forage for some of our songbirds. In addition, purple coneflower is a host plant for the caterpillars of the silvery checkerspot butterfly which feed on the plant’s foliage.īecause of how easy they are to find and the time of the year in which they bloom, purple coneflowers are a good option to consider for those wanting to plant for bees and butterflies. Many different species of butterflies including monarchs, tiger swallowtails, skippers, American ladies, red admirals, and fritillaries will also feed on the nectar. A wide range of bees including honey bees, native bees, and leafcutter bees collect nectar and pollen from purple coneflowers. Purple coneflower is highly attractive to a wide range of pollinators. For backyard beekeepers, purple coneflowers are worth taking special note of because they bloom during the summer dearth when there are often fewer flowers blooming that honey bees will use. Honey bees, as well as many of our native bee species, will collect nectar and pollen from purple coneflowers. ![]() Echinacea is based on the Greek word echinos which means spiny or prickly. Just as a side note, the central cone of disc flowers is what the cone in “coneflower” refers to and the resulting seed head is what inspired the name of the genus. These are the flowers that produce the nectar and pollen, then eventually the seeds. The center is composed of lots of fertile disc flowers. The “petals” are actually infertile ray flowers designed to attract pollinators. They bloom in the summer, in Kentucky that typically translates to late June through July. There are several other closely related species of coneflower that are also purple, but purple coneflowers are by far the most common in the horticulture industry. In fact, because so many of our natural prairies and barrens have been turned into developed areas or farmland, this native wildflower may be more common now in pollinator plantings and garden settings than it is in the wild.Īs the name suggests, purple coneflowers have purple flowers. ![]() It is also commonly planted in prairie restoration sites or similar settings and has become a popular ornamental flower that can be found throughout the horticulture industry. In the wild it is found in open prairies and meadows. Purple coneflower ( Echinacea purpurea) is a perennial wildflower native to most of the eastern 2/3 of the U.S. Many different species of butterflies, including monarchs, will feed on the nectar produced by purple coneflowers. ![]()
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