Photo by Jess Cole.
Purple Coneflower
The forever faithful show-stopping purple coneflower, Echinacea purpurea, I herald as the queen of the perennial garden, native or not. Not only are the blooms profuse from spring to fall, the coneflower also makes an excellent cut flower. It returns with vigor each year from its root stock and reseeds with splendor, spreading through the garden readily but not too aggressively. Grow one, and there is never another need to buy seeds or a plant again. Purple coneflower also has a long medicinal history and is used by many of my herbalist friends for various purposes. This is an excellent perennial for both winter garden interest and winter wildlife benefit. Do not cut back your coneflowers; the seed heads offer much food and the pithy stems are perfect for overwintering native bees in your garden. My personal echinacea is often devoured, in its entirety, by the silvery checkerspot butterfly it hosts. I used to be sad to “lose” the plant to them, but now I watch the show with pride.
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