Purple Coneflower

Kendall County (IL) Forest Preserve District

Purple Coneflower (Eastern Purple Coneflower)
Echinacea purpurea [C-value 3]
Aster family (Asteraceae)
Blooms mid-June - July

The beautiful native Purple Coneflower is common in our area. This perennial prefers full to partial sun and moist to slightly dry fertile loamy soil. Habitats include slightly moist black soil prairie remnants or restored prairies, savannas and edges and openings in woodlands. It grows up to 3½' tall with alternate long-stemmed, broadly lance-shaped, lower leaves up to 6" long and 3" across. The stem terminates in a single flower, 2-3" across, on a long naked hairy stalk up to 8" long. Each daisy-like flower has 10-20 ray florets surrounding the central cone of numerous disk florets. The ray florets are purplish pink, narrowly oblong and tend to droop with age. The central cone is reddish brown and very prickly.

Purple Coneflower at Ellis Prairie July 15, 2014

Purple Coneflower at Jay Woods Forest Preserve July 17, 2015

Purple Coneflower foliage at Jay Woods Forest Preserve July 17, 2015

Purple Coneflower at Jay Woods Forest Preserve June 29, 2013

Purple Coneflower with Red Admiral Butterfly at Jay Woods Forest Preserve June 29, 2013

Purple Cone Flower fall seedheads at Subat Forest Preserve October 29, 2014

Native Americans used Purple Coneflower roots as a poultice on wounds, swellings, and sores or chewed the roots and seed heads to relieve toothache or sore throat. Echinacea Extract, a tincture from the leaves and stems of Purple Coneflower and Pale Purple Coneflower, has been a popular herbal cold remedy for 400 years. Reminder: see our Do Not Disturb Notice.

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