Description

General aspect and origins - Echinacea purpurea is also known as the purple coneflower. This herbaceous perennial is native to North America, and more precisely to the USA. It has long-lasting ornamental flowers that look like white-cream or more often purple-pink daisies.
Leaves - The purple coneflowers has decidious leaves. They are dark-green and lanceolate.
Flowers - The flowers are purple-pink or sometimes white-cream. They look like wide daisies, with prominent conelike centers and drooping petals. They are often used as cut flowers.

Culture

This plant has ornamental flowers and is not only easily grown, but is is also very frost hardy. In fact, Echinacea purpurea can withstand cold temperatures down to about -30°F (-35°C) and lower. It can thus be grown in USDA zones 3 and warmer.
Soil - This plant is adaptable to brief droughts. On the opposite, it can grow in fairly moist soils. Moreover, it will grow in both fertile or poor soils.

Propagation

This plant can be propagated by seeds or division. (Both are performed in spring.)