Plant of the Week: Purple Coneflower
Meet the purple coneflower, a native powerhouse that attracts pollinators, survives drought, and adds stunning color to any garden.
Published November 19, 2025 • By Nurturing Gardens Team
The purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) is a stunning native perennial that deserves a place in every garden.
Why We Love It
This tough, drought-tolerant plant produces distinctive flowers with purple-pink petals surrounding a spiky orange cone. It blooms from mid-summer into fall, providing color when many other plants are fading.
Pollinator Magnet
Butterflies, bees, and other beneficial insects flock to coneflower blooms. In fall and winter, goldfinches feast on the seed heads, making it a four-season wildlife plant.
Growing Tips
- Zones: 3-9
- Sun: Full sun to part shade (best flowering in full sun)
- Soil: Well-drained, tolerates poor soil
- Water: Low once established
- Spacing: 18 inches apart
Care Notes
Deadhead spent flowers to encourage more blooms, or leave them for winter bird food. Plants may self-seed but are rarely invasive. Divide clumps every 3-4 years to maintain vigor.
Purple coneflower is perfect for beginners—it's forgiving, beautiful, and ecologically beneficial. What more could you ask for?
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