Common name: purple cone flower

Family name: Asteraceae

Description: showy magenta flowers with cones on upright stalks with alternate, lanceolate green leaves.

Flower: magenta petals with dark purple cone; long flowering period July- September

Foliage: blue-green lanceolate leaves with serrate margins.

Growing conditions: full sun, well-drained soil, low water use.

Height and spread: 0.7 – 1.3m by 0.6 – 1.0m.

Limitations: pest and disease resistant; can’t tolerate shade and excess moisture.

Landscape uses: great for a hot dry location; needs to be planted close together-no more than 60cm apart, takes a few years to fill out. Looks good combined with Eryngium giganteum and wispy grasses like Nasella tenuissima. Seed cones provide interest after the flower is spent.