Purple Coneflower

Purple Coneflowers Have a Long Bloom Cycle

This plant has a relatively long blooming period that lasts up to two months. The Purple Coneflower will attract butterflies, goldfinches, pollinators, birds, and hummingbirds during this time. This flower will produce a spiny, purplish-brown dome and drooping purple or pink petal-like rays. These rays are lanceolate with tapered ends and long petioles.

They have a rough texture and develop in quantities of 12 to 13 per flower. These prominent blooms grow radially symmetrical and shoot out from the under portion of the central cone. This deer and the drought-resistant plant has a fibrous root system. Its leaves are lanceolate at their tips and cordate at their base. They have serrated margins. In the late summer, this herbaceous plant develops large cypselae.

You may hear this plant referred to by other names such as the Easter Purple Coneflower, Echinacea Purpurea, Kansas Snakeroot, Indian Head, Scurvy Root, Snakeroot, Narrow-Leaved Purple Cone Flower, Hedgehog Coneflower, or Echinacea for short. This highly valued ornamental plant is well-known for radiating beautiful blooms during the summer months. Its strong upright growth helps its stems blend in with other foliage, while its lavender flowers provide a pop of attractive color to any garden design.

This perennial herb is known to have unbranched stems that make cutting fresh blooms easy. In fact, Coneflower blooms can survive up to two weeks after cutting, making one long-lasting floral centerpiece for the dinner table. This lavished flower is a member of the Asteraceae botanical family and is native to eastern and central North America. It's very low-maintenance, which makes it a great addition to any home garden where you want to essentially plant it and forget about it until you see its beautiful summertime lavender blooms.