Purple coneflower

Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 3.0

Purple coneflower

Echinacea purpurea

echinacea, eastern purple coneflower

Based on the courses of Églantine Vignon, Master Herbalist Updated October 3, 2026

How to identify purple coneflower

What to check before harvesting or using it.

Botanical illustration of purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) — Botanical plate

A perennial plant that can reach 1.30 m tall and 30 to 60 cm wide.

Stem: The stem is brownish green and most often hairy.
Leaves: Oval, lance-shaped, hairy leaves, 15 to 20 cm long.
Flowers: The flowers are purple with a very hard orange centre.
Fruit: The seeds (achenes) are off-white, 3.5 to 5 mm, most often smooth. They ripen in the heart of the flower, between stiff, prickly scales with orange-red tips.
Roots: The roots are branched.

Purple coneflower in the garden

Sun exposure: Full sun or a little shade
Soil: Well drained, fairly deep
Hardiness zone: 3

Sources

Plant profiles from the course “Medicinal Plants in the Garden”, eJardin Academy