#PURPLE CONEFLOWER INFO FULL#

It also has a reduced need for deadheading. Pow Wow Wild Berry has superior branching that results in more flowers, which bloom continuously. The foliage and stems have stiff, hairy surfaces that might remind you of medium-grit sandpaper. paradoxa (yellow coneflower) - yellow flowersĮ. Pow Wow Wild Berry coneflower is a 2014 Mississippi Medallion winner that grows only to about 20 inches tall. Most of these new cultivars are the result of seedling selection of purple coneflower or crossing between E. There have been multiple new introductions of purple coneflower in many different colors. Plants can get overcrowded and benefit from division every 4 to 6 years. The plants grow up to 3 feet tall and wide. Plants freely and easily re-seed throughout the garden and this can be reduced if you remove flowers after they fade and before they set seed. Coneflower leaves are dark green, oval shaped with serrate or toothed margins and they become smaller and more lanceolate shaped at the top of the plant. Adaptation: Purple coneflower is easily raised in sunny, well-drained sites. Goldfinches and other birds like the seed found in the dried black center part of the flower and spent flowers will stand through winter. They are lance-shaped and coarsely-toothed. Deadheading will promote more repeat blooms.

Plants have a big flush of bloom in first part of summer with consistent bloom (but fewer) until first frost.

#PURPLE CONEFLOWER INFO FULL#

Great flower for full sun, well drained soils. Insects & Disease Issues: Leaf spots, Japanese beetle and aster yellows (occasionally), Culture and Uses: Leaves: 4-8”, dark green, coarse, serrated, short stiff hairs, alternate, simpleįlowers: June-August, purple-pink, purple, white, 3-4” diameter, brown central cone with bronze tint, slightly drooping Great pollinator plant for butterlies and other insects seed heads attract goldfinches and other birds especially during winter.Easy to grow, native perennial flower for Iowa.These are also known for their therapeutic properties. It is not an exaggeration to say that purple coneflower (aka Echinacea purpurea) is the one of the finest. Their beautiful blooms can add visual appeal to any flower garden. Introduction to Echinacea - Purple Coneflowers. After the flowers go to seed, goldfinches will often move in and will devour the seeds. These species are referred to as purple coneflowers. They also have the added benefit of providing natural forage for some of our songbirds. In addition, purple coneflower is a host plant for the caterpillars of the silvery checkerspot butterfly which feed on the plant’s foliage.īecause of how easy they are to find and the time of the year in which they bloom, purple coneflowers are a good option to consider for those wanting to plant for bees and butterflies. Many different species of butterflies including monarchs, tiger swallowtails, skippers, American ladies, red admirals, and fritillaries will also feed on the nectar. A wide range of bees including honey bees, native bees, and leafcutter bees collect nectar and pollen from purple coneflowers. Purple coneflower is highly attractive to a wide range of pollinators. For backyard beekeepers, purple coneflowers are worth taking special note of because they bloom during the summer dearth when there are often fewer flowers blooming that honey bees will use. Honey bees, as well as many of our native bee species, will collect nectar and pollen from purple coneflowers. Echinacea is based on the Greek word echinos which means spiny or prickly. Just as a side note, the central cone of disc flowers is what the cone in “coneflower” refers to and the resulting seed head is what inspired the name of the genus. These are the flowers that produce the nectar and pollen, then eventually the seeds. The center is composed of lots of fertile disc flowers. The “petals” are actually infertile ray flowers designed to attract pollinators.

They bloom in the summer, in Kentucky that typically translates to late June through July. There are several other closely related species of coneflower that are also purple, but purple coneflowers are by far the most common in the horticulture industry. In fact, because so many of our natural prairies and barrens have been turned into developed areas or farmland, this native wildflower may be more common now in pollinator plantings and garden settings than it is in the wild.Īs the name suggests, purple coneflowers have purple flowers. It is also commonly planted in prairie restoration sites or similar settings and has become a popular ornamental flower that can be found throughout the horticulture industry. In the wild it is found in open prairies and meadows. Purple coneflower ( Echinacea purpurea) is a perennial wildflower native to most of the eastern 2/3 of the U.S. Many different species of butterflies, including monarchs, will feed on the nectar produced by purple coneflowers.

Purple coneflower info