Description
Pale Purple Coneflower, Echinacea pallida
DEEPOT 2.75″ x 10″
Light: Full sun to part shade
Moisture: Dry to medium
Soil: Well-drained (sandy, loamy or clay)
Height: 2–3 feet
Bloom Season: June – July
Bloom Color: Pink to Lavender
Photo by Rob Routledge, Sault College, Bugwood.org
Notes:
Pale Purple Coneflower has stout, hairy, unbranched stems, each of which support a single composite (daisy-like) flower. The flowers are about 3 inches across with a prominent copper-colored cone of disk florets, surrounded by long, slender, pink-purple petals that droop downward. The leaves are lanceolate to ovate in shape, 4–10 inches long and 2 inches across, often curling upward. Most of leaves occur along the lower one-third portion of a stem.
This easy to grow perennial is adaptable to many soil types as long as it is well-drained. Due to its long tap root, it can tolerate prolonged heat and drought. Best in full sun. Use in borders, prairies, meadows, or open dry woodlands. Freely self-seeds or divide when clumps become crowded (every 3–4 years). The pollen attracts hummingbirds, bees, butterflies, and skippers. Songbirds eat the seeds. Larval host for several insect species.
