Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)

How much light does a Purple Coneflower need?

Outdoors, purple coneflower takes full sun or part shade. Full sun is the preferred condition of the two. The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center lists both sun and part shade for this species. Full shade is not among the listed conditions. The recorded values are full sun and part shade, with full sun marked as preferred.

• Light: Full sun and part shade (full sun preferred)¹

How often to water a Purple Coneflower

Water use for purple coneflower is listed as medium, at both the low end and the high end of the recorded range. The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center gives this as Water Use: Medium. The soil conditions listed for the plant are well drained, moist and occasionally dry. Check how the soil feels before you decide to water, because no watering schedule in days is recorded for this plant.

• Water: Medium¹

Best soil for a Purple Coneflower

NC State Extension describes a preference for well-drained, moist loam. The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center lists well-drained soils that are sandy or richer. The drainage values on record are well drained, moist and occasionally dry. Loam, sandy and richer soils all appear in these descriptions. Soil pH is listed from 6 to 8, and NC State labels that range neutral. Both a lower limit of pH 6 and an upper limit of pH 8 are given.

• Soil drainage: Well drained, moist and occasionally dry^2,1
• Soil pH: pH 6–8²

Hardiness and temperature

Purple coneflower is listed for USDA hardiness zones 3a through 8b. The recorded range steps through 3a, 3b, 4a and on to 8b. Chicago Botanic Garden gives the range as zones 3 to 8. NC State Extension also calls the plant heat, humidity and salt resistant. No cited source records a minimum temperature for it.

• Hardiness: Zones 3a–8b^2,3

How to plant a Purple Coneflower

Gardeners in USDA zones 3a to 8b can plant purple coneflower outdoors. Allow 2–3 ft (0.61–0.91 m) of spread for each plant. Mature height is 3–4 ft (0.91–1.22 m), and the habit is erect. The growth rate is listed as moderate. Its native status for US-L48 is listed as native. The recorded native range covers 24 regions, from ALA and ARK to VRG and WIS.

• Hardiness: Zones 3a–8b^2,3

Winter care

In zone 3a, the cold end of its range, purple coneflower is still listed as hardy. The recorded range is zones 3a to 8b, and Chicago Botanic Garden gives zones 3 to 8. Zones colder than 3a or warmer than 8b fall outside that recorded range. The plant is a herbaceous perennial. No cited source records a minimum temperature or winter protection steps for it.

• Hardiness: Zones 3a–8b^2,3

How to propagate a Purple Coneflower

You can propagate purple coneflower by seed, by division or by root cuttings. NC State Extension lists all three of these as recommended strategies. Clemson Cooperative Extension says it is best to propagate Echinacea by division or seed. Root cuttings are therefore listed by NC State but are not among the two methods Clemson calls best. Steps and timing for these methods are not documented here.

• Propagation: Seed, division and root cuttings^2,4

Common problems

Japanese beetles, aphids, mites and sweet potato whitefly are the pests listed for purple coneflower. Penn State Extension names aphids, Japanese beetles and mites. The diseases listed are leaf spot, aster yellows, stem rot, powdery mildew and anthracnose. NC State Extension notes that the plant is susceptible to aster yellows disease.

• Common pests: japanese beetles, aphids, mites and sweet potato whitefly^2,5,6
• Common diseases: leaf spot, aster yellows, stem rot, powdery mildew and anthracnose^2,5

Questions and answers

Does purple coneflower need full sun?

Full sun is the preferred condition, and part shade is also listed. Full shade is not among the listed conditions. The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center gives sun and part shade.

How big does purple coneflower get?

It reaches 3–4 ft (0.91–1.22 m) tall with a spread of 2–3 ft (0.61–0.91 m). Its habit is erect. The growth rate is listed as moderate.

Is purple coneflower deer resistant?

NC State Extension describes it as deer, heat, humidity and salt resistant. The label used on this page is Reported resistant. That label describes deer only.