Echinacea purpurea, Eastern Purple Coneflower

Eastern Purple Coneflower with Bee Balm and Balloon Flower.

Eastern Purple Coneflower is not native to Minnesota, yet is common to "native" plantings east of the Rocky Mountains. It is what Shelterwood calls "nearly native." A sturdy performer, it is also likely to self-seed under the right conditions. This is a good plant for along a hot, gravel driveway -sturdy, upright, not too tall, and is unlikely to seed itself in the compacted gravel like Black-eyed Susan might. You may be surprised to find Echinacea purpurea in a fairly shady spot -revealing its roots at the edges of the Eastern Deciduous Forest.

Eastern Purple Coneflower (and several other flowering plants) may become infected with Aster Yellows, a plant disorder spread by leaf hoppers, typically under severe drought conditions. Flower parts can appear malformed and green. Pull those plants and bury them or place in a sealed trash bag for disposal.

Blooms: pinkish-purple, late June into September

Height: 2 to 4 feet

Conditions: sun to part shade, upland moist, well-drained to medium soils

Purple Coneflower, in the evening sun.