Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
A cheerful, unkillable starter native that blooms its first year and seeds itself politely around.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
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- Plant guide
- Purple Coneflower
Rosy purple
Perennial wildflower
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
The garden workhorse — months of nectar for bees and butterflies, then seed heads goldfinches strip all winter.
the Midwestthe Southeastthe Mid-Atlanticthe Great Plainsthe Northeast
Growing Purple Coneflower
Tough, long-lived, and forgiving of clay and drought once established. Leave the spent cones standing through winter for the birds and for next year's self-sown seedlings. It’s deer-resistant, drought-tolerant, easy to grow, showy, long-blooming, and a good cut flower.
Where it grows
Purple Coneflower is native to the Midwest. In the wild you’ll find it across Alabama · Arkansas · Colorado · Connecticut · Delaware · Florida · Georgia · Illinois · Indiana · Iowa and 32 more states. Always confirm it suits your specific county with your state native plant society before planting.
Regional Garden shows Purple Coneflower on 42 state pages.
Good for
Sourcing
Where to buy Purple Coneflower
Seeds & live plants on Amazon
Seed packets, plugs, and starter plants for many of these species ship to your door.
Browse on AmazonSome links here are affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. The surest source of locally-adapted stock is a native-plant nursery or a native plant society sale in your area.
Plant it with
Companions & kin.
Natives that share Purple Coneflower’s range and conditions.
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
Sunny gold daisies for weeks in early summer on the leanest, driest soil you can offer.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Cup Plant
Silphium perfoliatum
A prairie giant whose paired leaves hold rainwater for birds; goldfinches mob the seeds.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–8 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
New England Aster
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
Late-season fuel — clouds of purple daisies feeding migrating monarchs and the last bumblebees of fall.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct