List 7 – Echinacea purpurea
Echinacea purpurea (purple coneflower)
Family: Asteraceae
USDA Hardiness Zone: 3-8
Size:
- 5-2 ft wide
- 2-5 ft tall
Soil & Water requirements:
- Good drainage
- Dry to medium moisture
- Not tolerant of excess moisture
- Tolerant of poor soil
Exposure:
- Open, full sun to slight shade
- Not shade tolerant
Leaves:
- Ovate to broad-lanceolate leaves
- Not leafy when young
- Small, stiff hairs on stems and leaves
- Herbaceous perennial
Flowers:
- Composite flowers; showy
- Light purple rays; orange centre
- Bloom time: a couple months; June – August
Suitable uses:
- Mass planting in a border
- Wildflower garden
Potential pairings:
- Eryngium giganteum (Miss Willmott’s Ghost)
Attracts:
- Hummingbirds
- Butterflies
Other:
- Fairly short-lived but will reseed in preferred conditions
- Appropriate spacing of 50-60cm apart, but will look sparse for first year or two
- There is a variety of cultivars and colours available (white, pink, orange, dark purple), however all will die except echinacea purpurea