Purple Coneflower

Botanical name: Echinacea purpurea. Purple Coneflower enjoys full sun/part shade, and grows 2-4′ tall. The purple flowers last long in bloom (from July through September); attracting a variety of butterflies. Grows up to four feet tall in moderately dry to slightly damp soil, in full sun or light shade.

The seed heads are often visited by chickadees, sparrows, and goldfinches, or siskins and redpolls when in high numbers. They prefer full sun and a well drained soil, but will do well in almost any soils, and tolerate dry soil conditions. Adding a general purpose fertilizer once or twice a season may help. Coneflower will grow tall, 24″ to 42″, depending upon variety. The plants will form many branches. Encourage new blooms by removing all dead flowers.