Purple Coneflower

Purple Coneflowers are an iconic native plant instantly recognizable from their color and shape—you or your kids may have drawn flowers like them in a kindergarten class. Purple Coneflowers are one of nine coneflowers native to North America.

Why are they called ‘Purple Coneflowers’?

These flowers do not necessarily look purple.

Although they are called “purple” their color is more of an electrified hot-pink, with warm reddish-orange cones rising from the center.

(You may also see them called Eastern Purple Coneflowers.)

Purple Coneflower is this plant’s common name, or the name given to it by the generations before. (We wish the old-time copywriters had more creativity when it came to color names.) To ensure you’re buying or looking at Purple Coneflower, the singular Latin name helps (Echinacea purpurea.) And no, you don’t need to learn Latin!

Within these warm reddish cone centers first rest pollen (in the summer), followed by hundreds of seeds in the fall and winter. The shape of Purple Coneflower’s cones makes them perfect for pollinator and bird perches. They are a beautiful and very generous flower.

How can I plant Purple Coneflower by seed?

Purple Coneflower is super easy to plant by seed. One caveat: seeds planted might not flower until the following summer. (The first year, the plant focuses its energy on making roots.)

Online Purple Coneflower seed sellers

Here are some online seed sellers (alongside their locations) that sell Purple Coneflower seeds:

• Baker Creek Heirloom Rare Seeds (Mansfield, Missouri)
• Eden Brothers (Arden, North Carolina)
• Johnny’s Seeds (Winslow, Maine)
• Native American Seeds (New Braunfels, Texas)
• Ohio Prairie Nursery Seeds (Hiram, Ohio)
• Prairie Nursery (Westfield, Wisconsin)
• Select Seeds (Union, Connecticut)
• Vermont Wildflower Farm (Vermont)

What are good pairings for Purple Coneflower?

Dozens of native flowers pair beautifully with Purple Coneflowers. Some examples include: