Plant of the Month: Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) is a perennial flower from the aster family (Asteraceae). Like all members of the aster family the flower head is actually composed of many individual flowers growing together (called a capitulum) in a domed spiny disk. This spiny disk is the basis of its name. The scientific name Echinacea comes from the Greek word echinos meaning hedgehog or sea urchin. It is also commonly referred to as hedge coneflower, hedgehog coneflower and purple echinacea.
The spiny center of the flower is cone shaped and often purple-brown in colour. It is surrounded by drooping purple petals. A single “flower” is found atop a stem. The stem is 2 to 4 feet tall and will remain erect throughout winter. The lower leaves are long with coarse teeth along the edge. The leaves get smaller with smoother edges as they get closer to the top of the stem.
The native range of the purple coneflower is from central to eastern North America. Saskatchewan is the western limit of purple coneflower’s native range, however, it grows quite well in southern Alberta and supports many local pollinators. . A subspecies of the purple coneflower, the white swan coneflower, is a recommended replacement to the oxeye daisy. The purple coneflower is thought to be beneficial to pollinators as it is highly attractive to bees and butterflies. It also benefits the birds as flowerheads that are left into the winter provide seeds for birds. Additionally, this flower can be eaten, with the roots commonly made into teas and the petals and seeds eaten raw or cooked. It has been used to treat the cold, flu and other infectious diseases. It is also a mild natural antibiotic that is thought to help improve the number of white blood cells.
The purple coneflower is considered easy to grow as it is deer and rabbit resistant, and is heat and drought tolerant. However, the flower can become infected with pests or contract diseases, especially if they are grown too close together. The purple coneflower prefers full sun to part shade and prefers dry soil. It blooms from mid to late summer.
תגובות
הוספת תגובה