GB Bloom Day: The Common Coneflower Takes Center Stage

A convocation
Of coneflowers thrust skyward
Calling bees to feast

With all the rain we have had recently, there are blooms “busting out all over” here in the Heartland. The star of the show this time of year, though, is the purple coneflower, and I wanted to give her center stage today.

When I started my first small perennial flowerbed 6 or 7 years ago, the one flower I knew I wanted to plant was the purple coneflower. I had seen them in gardens all around the area and thought they were “pretty.” In my near-total state of ignorance about flower gardening, I didn’t realize what an excellent choice I had made. I didn’t know that they were native to this area and that they attracted bees and butterflies.

The coneflowers have never failed me, and I’ve grown to love them more each year. They are definitely my favorite perennial.

In the past month Gail at Clay and Limestone has written a few posts about the purple coneflower. In an early one she identified a native species called Echinacea Tennesseensis. This intrigued me; if Tennessee has its own coneflower, then surely Illinois has its own, too! I did a little research and found that, sadly, Illinois does not have a species named after it, so the Tennesseans have their own claim to fame. But I did find some other interesting information about the plant in Illinois.

I found a very informative website about the Illinois prairie written by a botanist with the Illinois Natural History Survey, which is located near me. “The Tallgrass Prairie in Illinois,” written by Ken Robertson, is an excellent resource for information about the prairie habitat, including indigenous plants. He identifies two major species of the coneflower native to Illinois: Echinacea purpurea and Echinacea pallida. The purpurea is the common coneflower that most of us grow. According to Robertson, it is not a prairie plant, but rather is “found mostly in savannas and along the edges of woods.” The pallida, or “pale coneflower,” is a native found mainly in southern Illinois. The photos he included of the pallida look somewhat like this one in my garden, although this one is actually just a young Echinacea purpurea. Check out his site for photos of the real thing.

Little of the original prairie still exists in Illinois. Because of the rich soil in our area, the “Grand Prairie,” most of the soil has been converted to agricultural uses. However, there are still a few remnants of original prairie left, and Robertson includes sites where one can see the original landscape of this area. Not surprisingly, many of them are located in cemeteries. He also lists sites that have developed Prairie Restoration projects, including the Chicago Botanic Garden, Morton Arboretum, and Meadowbrook Park, a popular park not far from where I live. I had hoped to visit one of the cemeteries to get a photo for this post, but time and gas prices kept me from going.

My great-great-grandparents settled in this area in the 1870’s, buying land (for $2 an acre!) that had never been tilled. I wonder if they saw any seas of coneflowers when they arrived.

Besides its lovely, long-lasting blooms, the Echinacea is drought-resistant, will grow in many different soil types, and has few disease or insect problems. What is there not to like about this plant?!

The center globes attract butterflies . . .

...and bees are drawn to them as well.

In the winter the seed cones attract birds in search of food. ( This does bring up a question: what do you do when the flower has stopped blooming and the stems begin to dry up? I have left mine to stand all winter, but for aesthetic purposes, I wish I could break them off as soon as they have dried up. I would love to hear your comments on this.) And, of course, they do self-seed sometimes. I showed a photo of all my echinacea seedlings in a post earlier this spring; I must have had a couple dozen little babies. I transplanted some, pulled others, and left a few to fend for themselves. They're pretty tough plants.

There are many new varieties of the coneflower, including those in the “Big Sky” series, and I do hope to plant a few of those soon. But they are definitely pricier than the common Echinacea purpurea, and have not proven to be as hardy.

Anthony Kahtz, author of Perennials for Midwestern Gardens, suggests planting coneflowers with companions like Russian sage, liatris, or daylilies. I have Russian sage near one stand of coneflower; it’s definitely a bee magnet,too.

I do have many other blooms in my garden right now, including some surprise daylilies and my poor knockout roses struggling to survive the Japanese beetle attacks, but I think I’ll save them for another post. I don’t want anything to take attention away from today’s star.

“If you are a new gardener or just want a plant that is reliable, purple coneflower will leave you feeling like an expert.” ( Kahtz ) Ah, no wonder I like them!

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day is sponsored on the 15th of each month by Carol at May Dreams Gardens. Visit her to see other posts today.