Of the wide range of summer-blooming perennials, none is more engaging than beautiful purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea).

A member of the Asteraceae family of daisy-like flowers, its botanical name comes from the Greek word echinos or “hedgehog”, and when you look at the “cone” of stiff, golden-brown disk flowers as they age, you can clearly see the resemblance to that bristly animal. Drooped engagingly from this central cone are showy rose-mauve ray flowers, an unusual flower color that works well in combination with blackeyed susan, pink phlox, blue globe thistle, a pink or purple monarda, filipendula, physostegia, great blue lobelia, perovskia, artemisia, ornamental grasses and the trumpet and Oriental lilies of July and August.

Purple coneflower is extremely attractive to bees and butterflies, particularly bumblebees and monarch butterflies. In a “pink” garden at New York’s Conservatory Garden in Central Park, when I visited a few summers ago, the place was a-flutter with all kinds of butterflies. Here, purple coneflowers were planted amidst masses of self-seeding Verbena bonariensis, pink sidalcea, lavender balloon flower (Platycodon grandiflorum), baby’s breath, drumstick allium (Allium sphaerocephalon) and tall, silvery Scotch thistle (Onopordum acanthium).

Purple coneflower is a native North American wildflower, found from Ohio to Iowa and south into Oaklahoma and Alabama. It is said that Plains Indians found more uses for purple coneflower and its slightly hardier cousin, narrow-leaved purple coneflower (E. angustifolia), than for any other plant. They chewed the roots to treat snake bites, spider bites and toothaches. Modern West German chemists have prepared more than 200 pharmaceutical extracts, salves and tinctures from these two species, using them for herpes, canker sores, throat infections and as a preventative for colds and flu. In fact, the last 15 years has seen echinacea achieve something of a cult status as an immune system stimulant, which is sold in tablet form at health food stores and chain pharmacies. (N.B. This information is merely anecdotal history, and does not constitute health advice.)

Although it is usually described as a prairie plant, it is not quite as happy in dry conditions as that suggests. It thrives in rich, adequately moist, well-drained, sandy soil, making it a good candidate for well-tended perennial borders. The foliage might be considered coarse, however we don’t grow this plant for its leaves, but for its attractive, long-blooming flowers. Blooms begin appearing in mid-July and, if deadheaded, often last through the sedums and asters of late summer and early fall.

Breeding programs involving Echinacea purpurea and other species in the genus have seen color changes and dwarfing of the 24-36 inch height. Here are some of the newer hybrids and selections:

· ‘Art’s Pride’ (Meadowbrite™ Series) – exciting new echinaceas from the Chicago Botanic Garden’s Dr. Jim Ault reflect the competitiveness of the breeding programs in the U.S. ‘Orange Meadowbrite’ has slightly fragrant orange flowers on 30 inch (45 cm) stems while ‘Mango Meadowbrite’ is a lighter yellow-orange.

· ‘Doppelganger’ – flowers in a double-decker layer. (One might ask why?)

· ‘Fancy Frills’ – multiple rows of shaggy petals, rather like a bright-pink sunflower. From Terra Nova Nurseries.

· ‘Fragrant Angel’ – the dwarf (16 inches or 45 cm) white-flowered form of ‘Little Giant’ from Terra Nova.

· ‘Green Eyes’ – a rather bizarre Terra Nova selection with bright-green centers that mature to orange.

· ‘Hope’ – soft-pink flowers on a compact (16 inch or 40 cm) selection from Terra Nova. A portion of the royalty from each plant sold is donated to cancer research.

· ‘Kim’s Knee-High’ (18-24 inches or 45-60 cm) is a dwarf cultivar selected by Kim Hawkes, formerly of North Carolina’s Niche Gardens that must be raised from tissue culture.

· ‘Little Giant’ – a dwarf Terra Nova introduction with 12-16 inch stems and large, red-purple, ruffled flowers.

· 'Magnus' - 1998 Perennial Plant of the Year which features large flowers with vibrant color and flat ray petals.

· ‘Paranoia’ – sparsely-petaled yellow flowers on a very dwarf (10 inch - 25 cm) plant selected from a cross between E. purpurea and E. paradoxa. Plant Delights.

· ‘Rubinstern’ – a 30 inch+ (75 cm+) floriferous, multi-branched plant with vivid reddish-pink flowers with flat ray petals. Seed-grown, therefore some variability.

· ‘Ruby Giant’ – clonal version of ‘Rubinstern’ with multiple branching on 30 inch (75 cm) plants and large, fragrant flowers with a double row of ray petals. Terra Nova.

· ‘Sparkler’ – variegated leaves on a 26” plant. Foliage fades to green as flowers emerge. Terra Nova.

· ‘The King’ – an older compact (18-24 inch or 45-60 cm) selection from Holland

· ‘White Lustre’, ‘White Swan’, ‘White King’, White Cygnet’ and ‘Talent White’ are compact, white-flowered forms that reach around 20 inches (50 cm).

Adapted from a column that appeared originally in Toronto Gardens

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