Purple coneflower, or Echinacea purpurea is a native flower all along the east coast from Vermont to Florida and west to Colorado. It is a prairie staple and one of the more familiar native species to many of us. It is a drought tolerant perennial while also being deer resistant. The roots can be used to make a medicinal and delicious tea! The plant itself grows 3-4 feet tall and does best in 4-6+ hours of sun. Flowers bloom from summer until early fall and are followed closely behind by seed heads that act as a natural bird feeder through the crucial winter months.
The flowers themselves are attractive to bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. Several species of butterflies will also use this as a host plant, a place to lay their eggs and feed their caterpillars, including the silvery checkerspot and wavy-lined emerald. Songbirds, like chickadees, sparrows, and goldfinches, will dine on the seeds in fall until springtime when the seeds inevitably run out.
300 seeds per packet that will cover 100 sq.ft.
Sow seeds outside in the spring after the last frost date or in fall and cover lightly with soil or start indoors 4-6 weeks prior to the last frost. Transplant after the last frost date to be 18-24" apart. Seeds germinate in 7-21 days.