pale purple coneflower
Echinacea pallida
MBG Plant of Merit 2020
USDA zones3 to 8
SunHandles full sun to partial sun
WaterHandles dry to moist soil
Size2 to 3 feet tall12 to 18 inches wide
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Habit
- Herb
- Bloom season
- Spring, summer
- Bloom color
- Pale purple
- Foliage color
- Green
- Soil types
- Sand, loam, clay, chalk
- Soil pH
- Acid, alkaline, neutral
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
Pale purple coneflower (Echinacea pallida) is a perennial for borders, meadows, cottage gardens, and pollinator gardens. It is hardy to USDA zone 3, or down to -40°F (-40°C). This plant likes full or part sun and dry to moist soil of most types. Stout stems bear drooping lavender petals around a spiny, cone-shaped center, and bees visit the flowers. Mix it with grasses to keep its spread in check. Deer rarely make it their first choice.
Pairs well with Indian grass, Standing Ovation little bluestem, and Moonshine yarrow.
Native range
Eastern and central North America.