Purple Coneflower
Purple coneflowers attract a variety of pollinators.
By LYNN ARTZ, SANDY TEDDER and DAVID RODDENBERRY
Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) is a popular perennial with striking pink to purple petals and a spiky mounded center. It grows 2–3 feet tall in well-drained soil in full sun to part shade. Afternoon shade enhances flower color and drought tolerance. Strong, hairy stems keep the large showy flowers upright in wind and rain. Purple coneflower attracts a variety of butterflies, bees, and even hummingbirds. Birds and other wildlife eat the seeds. Native to the central and eastern U.S., in Florida, purple coneflower occurs naturally in only Gadsden County. To persist as a perennial, a cold period is required. Further south, purple coneflower becomes an annual. Easily propagated by seeds or division, purple coneflower is blooming now in the northern gardens at Sopchoppy Depot Park.