FNPS Plant Database

Echinacea purpurea

eastern purple coneflower
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS
  • Photo by: Roger Hammer, Dade Chapter FNPS
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS

Nomenclature

Common Name:

eastern purple coneflower

Synonym(s):

Genus species:

Echinacea purpurea

Family:

Asteraceae (Compositae)

Plant Specifics

Form:

flower

Size:

3-5 ft tall by 2-3 ft wide

Life Span:

Long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

pink,purple

Fruit Color:

Phenology:

Winter dormant. Blooms spring-fall.

Noted For:

Showy Flowers

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Works well in almost any garden with mixed wildflower species. North of Florida, this species is sometimes planted as single-species mass plantings.

Considerations:

The further south you go, the more short-lived this species gets.  Except in extreme north Florida, treat as an annual or at least don't assume that it will be a long-lasting perennial.

Availability:

Big Box Stores, Quality Nurseries, Native Nurseries, FNPS Plant Sales, Seed

Propagation:

This species is easily grown from seed or by division of existing clumps.

Light:

Full Sun

Moisture Tolerance:

Always Flooded---------------------------------Extremely Dry

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Usually moist, occasional inundation -to- Short very dry periods

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray

Soil or Other Substrate:

Sand, Clay, Loam

Soil pH:

adaptable

Suitable to Grow In:

8A,8B,9A

USDA zones are based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature.

Don't know your zone? Click here to search by zip code.

Ecology

Wildlife:

Pollinators, Butterflies, Birds, Mammals

Attracts many pollinators, especially bees.

Small birds and small mammals consume the seed.

Native Habitats:

Upland glades, openings in upland mixed forests on calcareous soils.

Natural Range in Florida:

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Comments:

Ethnobotany:

Echinacea is believed by many people to stimulate the immune system

General Comments:

Requires a reliable cold period to persist. In most of Florida it can be treated as an annual in gardens.



Listed as Endangered by the State of Florida.  While this is a common garden plant in the north, its range barely reaches Florida, and it is rare and exists only in a highly specific habitate in the wild.

Citations:

Chafin, L. G. (2000). Field Guide to the Rare Plants of Florida. Florida Natural Areas Inventory, Tallahassee, FL.


Haehle, Robert G. and Joan Brookwell. (1999). Native Florida Plants. Gulf Publishing Company. Houston, TX.


Huegel, Craig N. (2012). Native Wildflowers and Other Ground Covers for Florida Landscapes. University Press of Florida, Gainesville.


Nelson, Gil. (2003). Florida's Best Landscape Plants: 200 Readily Available Species for Homeowners and Professionals. University Press of Florida, Gainesville.


Traas, Pamela. (2001). Gardening for Florida's Butterflies. Great Outdoors Publishing Co., St. Petersburg, FL.


University of Tennessee Extension Service. (2010). Desired pH Range and salt tolerance of common nursery plants. ( https://plantsciences.tennessee.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/25/2021/10/Desired-pH-Range-List.pdf ). Accessed 2025. University of Tennessee Extension, Knoxville.


Wunderlin, R. P., B. F. Hansen, A. R. Franck, and F. B. Essig. (1999+). Atlas of Florida Plants. ( https://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/ ). [S. M. Landry and K. N. Campbell (application development), USF Water Institute.] Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa.

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