Interesting Facts About the Purple Coneflower

As part of the daisy family, purple coneflowers are a beautiful large flower with lavender rays of color on its petals. They mainly grow around central and eastern United States, making their homes in large pastures and prairies. They can also be grown in a garden with extra care.

The purple coneflower is also called the Echinacea. It’s in the genus of herbaceous, and is considered a perennial. They start blooming around late spring and grow to their fullest in the hot heat of the summer sun. They love growing between grass and weeds and can reach a stem height of one foot.

The purple coneflower has 14 petals with a large head at the center where bees enjoy getting their pollen from. This flower also attracts monarch butterflies and is used as a food source as well as a leisure spot. Most of these flowers can be found on the east coast and in a dry habitat such as flower fields in Ohio or Virginia.

An intriguing fact about the Echinacea is that it can also be used for medicinal reasons. Dried juice from this flower can actually help some symptoms of a cold, including a stuffy and running nose. Its good to note however, that its medicinal power does not go beyond this. This plant was used in the early 1900’s by Native Americans, who sought it out to help relive pain from snakebites and flu symptoms. They learned of its capabilities from watching wounded animals such as deer and elk eat the flower to get some relief.

There is another form of this Echinacea, which is called the white swan, named for its beautiful white petals and red middle.