Leaf
Liliane Roubaudi, Tela Botanica · CC BY-SA 2.0
Purple coneflower
Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench
Also known as: Eastern purple coneflower, Echinacea
Family: Asteraceae
60 cm to 1.20 m tall
Planted in gardens, beds and sunny borders
Flowering: July – September
Full sun
Hardy to about -20°C
❓ How do you recognise this plant?
The domed central cone of the coneflower is actually made up of hundreds of tiny tubular flowers, each capable of producing a seed — which is why it attracts so many foraging insects.
🍃 Leaves
Ovate to lanceolate, rough, toothed, in a basal rosette
🌸 Flowers
Large flower heads with drooping pink-purple petals around a domed orange-brown central cone
🍎 Fruits
Small dry achene
🪵 Bark
Upright herbaceous stem, rough to the touch
🗺️ Distribution
Native to North America; widely grown in France as an ornamental plant
🐝 Value for pollinators
Very nectar-rich flowers, very attractive to bees, butterflies and hoverflies; seeds enjoyed by birds late in the season
✂️ Horticultural uses
Very free-flowering perennial for borders, valued for its long summer flowering and its interest for wildlife
⚠️ Possible toxicity
No known toxicity; traditionally used in herbal medicine (root)
🌿 Other Asteraceae to discover
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.
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