Purple Coneflower Facts

The scientific name for the purple coneflower is Echinacea purpurea. Purple coneflowers are perennials that die each winter only to grow back in the spring. The purple cone flower is commonly referred to as the eastern purple coneflower.

Characteristics

• The purple coneflower blooms between June and October, according to Texas A&M University. Purple coneflowers grow to heights of 2 to 3 feet. The spread of the purple coneflower ranges from 1.5 to 2 feet. Purple cone flowers have purplish-brown spiny centers and drooping lavender petals, according to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. Leaves of the purple coneflower are dark green and coarse. Leaves are approximately 3.8 inches long, according to floridata.com. The flower itself is approximately 3 inches in diameter.

  Purple coneflowers have high drought tolerance, according to the University of Florida. These flowers have low tolerance for soils with high levels of salt.

Habitat

• The optimum soil temperature for germination of the purple coneflower is between 70 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit, according to Texas A&M University. Purple coneflowers can grow in either full sun or partial shade. Purple coneflowers grow best in soils with pH levels between 6.1 and 7.8.

Geography

• Purple coneflowers grow in the eastern United States. They’re found as far south as Georgia and as far west as Ohio, according to floridata.com.

Complications

• Purple coneflowers are often attacked by Japanese beetles, according to floridata.com. Aside from that, purple coneflowers are not particularly prone to any diseases or problems.

Uses

• Purple cone flowers are used to make herbal teas that are designed to strengthen the immune system, according to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. Native Americans commonly used the purple cone flower for medicine, according to floridata.com. Today more than 200 medicines are made from purple coneflower extract.

Fun Facts

• Purple coneflowers have a vase life between five and seven days, according to Texas A&M University. Butterflies consume the nectar from purple coneflowers during summer months.

Taxonomy

• The purple cone flower belongs to the plantae kingdom, tracheobionta subkingdom, spermatophyta superdivision, magnoliophyta division, magnoliopsida class, asteridae subclass, asterales order, asteraceae family and the echinaceae moench genus, according to the United States Department of Agriculture.