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. |