Echinacea purpurea

Plant Characteristics

Height:	⇕	1.2 m"m" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 1.2.
Width:	⇔	.5 m"m" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 0.5.
Lifespan:	⌛	perennial
Origin:	✈	Michigan to Georgia
Bloom:	❀	mid summer, late summer

Cultivation

Exposure:	☼	sun, part-sun
Water:	◍	moist, moderate, dry
Features:	✓	flowers, drought tolerant
USDA Zones:		3

Scientific Names

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Echinacea purpurea (Eastern purple coneflower or Purple coneflower) is a species of flowering plant in the genus Echinacea. Its cone-shaped flowering heads are usually, but not always purple. It is native to eastern North America and present to some extent in the wild in much of the eastern, southeastern and midwest United States. It is also grown as an ornamental plant, and numerous cultivars have been developed for flower quality and plant form.

This perennial flowering plant is 1.2 m tall and 0.5 m wide at maturity. Depending on the climate, it begins to bloom in late May or early July. Its individual flowers (florets) within the flower head are hermaphroditic, having both male and female organs on each flower. It is pollinated by butterflies and bees. Its habitats include dry open woods, prairies and barrens, as well as cultivated beds. ^wp

It is hardy to zone 3 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from July to August. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects.^pf

Read about Echinacea purpurea in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture

Echinacea purpurea, Moench. (Brauneria purpurea, Brit.). Commonly not hairy, typically taller than E. angustifolia, 2 ft. or more high: lvs. ovate-lanceolate, or the lower ones broadly ovate, often 5-nerved, commonly denticulate or sharply serrate, most of them abruptly contracted into a margined petiole; upper lvs. lanceolate and 3-nerved : rays at first an inch long and broadish, later often 2 in. long or more, with the same color- range as E. angustifolia, but rarely almost white. Rich or deep soil. Va. and Ohio to 111. and La. G.L. 19:28. G.M. 22: suppl. Nov. 11; 31:374. Gng. 5:41. Var. serotina, Bailey (Rudbeckia purpurea var. serotina, Nutt. R. serotina, Sweet). The varietal name means late-flowering, but the chief point is the hairy or bristly character of the plant.— Perhaps the best form for garden purposes, the rays said to be much brighter colored, broader and not rolling at the edges. CH The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.

Cultivation

Although the plant prefers loamy or sandy, well-drained soils, it is little affected by the soil's pH. Unable to grow in the shade, E. purpurea thrives in either dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought, once established.^wp

Prefers a deep rich loam with plenty of leafmold[1] and a sunny position[175]. Succeeds in dry soils and tolerates drought once it is established[160]. Prefers a good light soil[187]. A very ornamental plant, there are some named varieties[187]. Slugs love this plant[K].^pf

Propagation

E. purpurea can be propagated either vegetatively or from seeds. Useful vegetative techniques include division, root cuttings, and basal cuttings. Clumps can be divided, or broken into smaller bunches, which is normally done in the spring or autumn. Cuttings made from roots that are "pencil-sized" will develop into plants when started in late autumn or early winter. Cuttings of basal shoots in the spring may be rooted when treated with rooting hormones.

Plants raised outdoors

Seed germination occurs best with daily temperature fluctuations or after stratification, which help to end dormancy. Seeds may be started indoors in advance of the growing season or outdoors after the growing season has started.

Pests and diseases

Slugs eat this plant.

Gallery

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References

• Plants for a Future - creative commons text incorporated
• Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture, by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963

External links

• w:Echinacea purpurea. Some of the material on this page may be from Wikipedia, under the Creative Commons license.
• Echinacea purpurea QR Code (Size 50, 100, 200, 500)