purple coneflowers

Echinacea is the genus of flowering plants that contains purple coneflowers and a single yellow coneflower. Some sources (iNaturalist) use the common name “coneflowers” for the genus. The preferred name “purple coneflower” distinguishes this genus from prairie coneflower (Ratibita) and coneflower (Rudbeckia). There are 10 species of Echinacea, all of them in North America east of the Rocky mountains.

Only one species, Echinacea angustifolia, is native to Minnesota. One species, Echinacea purpurea, is often imported in seed mixes purchased from other states where it is not native by city, county, regional, and state parks, and by prairie restorations. Some species are cultivated as ornamentals.

Purple coneflowers have erect stems up to 4′ tall, alternate leaves, and large, showy, composite flower heads. Most have unbranched stems; hairy, rough-textured, untoothed leaves; and large, showy flower heads with purple to pink or white corollas and spreading or drooping ray florets.

Sources

2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 24, 28, 29, 30.

Location: Woodbury, Minnesota