Echinacea, Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea

Family: Asteraceae

What it is like

A perennial plant. It develops underground stems or rhizomes. It grows 90-120 cm high and 45-60 cm across. The leaves are bristly and dark green. The plant is coarse and the stems stout. The flower heads are large and form a cone. The purple-red ray florets are around this.

There are 9 Echinacea species. It is used in medicine.

Where it is found

It is a temperate plant. It is frost hardy. It needs rich, deep, well-drained soil. It should be neutral to alkaline. It can tolerate drought. Hobart Botanical Gardens. It suits hardiness zones 3-8.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Australia, Canada, Central Asia, Europe, Korea, Lithuania, Myanmar, North America, SE Asia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Tasmania, USA

How it is used for food

The flowers are used to garnish bread. Caution: This plant should probably only be used in small amounts or for short periods.

Edible parts

Leaves, roots, seeds, flowers

How it is grown

Plants are grown from ripe seed. Seed germinate best at a temperature of 20°C and germinate in 5-20 days. They can also be grown by root cuttings or division.

Its other names

Local names

Purple coneflower, škrlatni ameriški slamnik

Synonyms

Rudbeckia purpurea L.; and others