Purple coneflower - Echinacea purpurea
Above: Purple coneflower in the woods in Nakoma Park in Madison, Wisconsin. (8/01/20).
Purple coneflower - Echinacea purpurea
Grows up to 2- 5' tall and branches occasionally. Purple coneflower prefers full to partial sun with dry to moderate moisture such as prairies and woods.
Clearly the name is not the best indicator of the flower's color. Purple coneflowers have flowers that range in color from whiteish pink, pink, vibrant pink to purple pink. The flower rays are about 1/4"-1/3" wide (They tend to droop downward with age) surrounding a prominent domed central protuberance consisting of multiple small yellow/orange florets.
Blooms June - October. The blooming period oftenn has two stages. The first bloom begins in mid-summer and lasts about a month. Then, after a temporary dormancy, some plants may bloom again in the early fall.
Other names include: Broad-leaved purple coneflower, Eastern Purple Coneflower, Hedgehog Coneflower, Echinacea.
Latin: Echinacea: Greek meaning "sea urchin" or "hedgehog" referring to sharp, spiny chaff on domed center of head. Purpurea means "reddish-purple."
Above: Purple coneflower in the woods in Nakoma Park in Madison, Wisconsin on July 23, 2020.
For more information on Purple coneflower, visit Wikipedia.
Or, visit the UW-Madison Wisconsin State Herbarium website page about Purple coneflower.
Purple coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
Above: Purple coneflower in the woods in Nakoma Park in Madison, Wisconsin. (7/21/19)
Above: Purple coneflower on bikepath at Glenway crossing in Madison, Wisconsin. (7/21/19)
Above: Bumble bee on a Purple coneflower in the Prairie Moraine Dog Park in Verona, Wisconsin. (8/18/23)
Above: I believe this is a purple coneflower as it is not very tall and was in the Nakoma Park woods where I clearly viewed the leaves of other Purple Coneflowers. (8/19/20)
Above: Purple coneflower specimen collected vacant lot on Regent Street in Madison, Wisconsin on September 22, 1995.
