Purple Coneflower (Echinacea)

Echinacea purpurea

Asteraceae (Daisy)

A prairie native and famous immune herb. Leave the seed heads up and goldfinches will work them all winter.

Texas nativeDrought-toughFull sunPollinatorMedicinal

Purple Coneflower (Echinacea) (Echinacea purpurea) illustration — Texas Roots plant database, by Jordan Polasek

Sun

Full sun

Water

Low

Soil

Well-drained

pH

6.0–7.0

Hardiness

Hardy native perennial

Height

2–4 ft

Spacing

18 in

Days to harvest

2nd year for full bloom

What it is

Purple Coneflower (Echinacea) (Echinacea purpurea) is in the Asteraceae (Daisy) family. A prairie native and famous immune herb. Leave the seed heads up and goldfinches will work them all winter.

How to grow it

It wants full sun, water it low, and give it well-drained soil. Target a soil pH around 6.0–7.0. Space plants about 18 in apart. Expect roughly 2nd year for full bloom. Hardy native perennial.

How it's used

Purple Coneflower (Echinacea) is used: root/flower in herbal prep; seed for birds.

🔎 How to identify it

Coarse lance-shaped leaves
Pink-purple petals, orange spiny cone
Sturdy upright stems

Edibility

PartsRoots and flowers (herbal)

UsesRoot/flower in herbal prep; seed for birds

CautionConsult sources before medicinal use.

🌤 Before you plant: check the live 7-day garden weather to time it right for frost and heat.

Part of the free Texas Roots plant database, compiled by Jordan Polasek from his greenhouse in El Campo, Texas. Free to read and share. If it helped, the best thanks is to grow something.