Pale Purple Coneflower (Echinacea pallida) gets the attention of many gardeners. Why? The lovely combination of the prominent central cone and thin, pale pink to purple flower petals gracefully hanging like tassels, makes them one of the most attractive prairie perennials.
I. Appearance and Characteristics
Echinacea pallida, the pale purple coneflower, is a species of herbaceous perennial plant in the family Asteraceae. It is sometimes grown in gardens and used for medicinal purposes. Its native range is the central region of the United States and Ontario, Canada.
Echinacea pallida is similar to E. angustifolia, but plants often grow taller, ranging from 1.5 to 2.5 ft (45 to 75 cm) tall, with some growing 3 ft (90 cm) or more tall. Plants normally grow with one unbranched stem in the wild, but often produce multi-stemmed clumps in gardens. They have deep taproots that are spindle shaped, wider in the center and narrowing at the ends. Stems are green or mottled with purple and green. The leaves are elongated lanceolate or linear-lanceolate with three veins.
Flower head rays are narrow, linear, elongated, and drooping, ranging from 1 to 3 inches (2.5 to 7.6 cm) long. The flower heads are from 3⁄4 to 3 inches (1.9 to 7.6 cm) wide with pale rose-purple or nearly white ray florets. The flowers have white pollen. Echinacea pallida blooms from May into July. The fruits are cypselae and are tan or bi-colored with angled edges.
II. How to Grow and Care
Sunlight and Soil
Echinacea pallida prefers full sun to part shade and average to poor, well-drained soil. It will tolerate heat, clay and rocky soil.
Pruning
Plants can be cut to the ground in late fall after the blooms are finished, or left intact for small birds like goldfinches to scavenge the seeds. If it’s the latter, cut the plants back in late winter or early spring before the new growth emerges. Cut them to within 3-5 inches of the ground.
We do not recommend covering coneflowers with mulch for the winter, because in our experiences, it can kill them instead of protect them. Coneflowers are very resilient on their own.
Propagation
Echinacea pallida is propagate by seed, by division in spring or fall, or by root cuttings from late fall to early winter.
Pests and Diseases
No serious pest or disease issues. Attractive to butterflies, hummingbirds, and other pollinators, but deer resistant.
III. Uses and Benefits
- Ornamental uses
Echinacea pallida is perfect choice for beds and borders, prairies and meadows, wildflower gardens, or cottage gardens.
Echinacea pallida is also excellent as cut flowers. If flower heads are not removed in the fall, the blackened cones will be visited by birds that feed on the seeds.
- Medicinal uses
Traditionally, Echinacea pallida was used in herbal medicine to relieve symptoms of cold. Echinacea was also used to relieve symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections.
Today, the herb is used for conditions such as anxiety, gingivitis, herpes simplex virus (HSV), influenza, middle ear infection, and warts, but there is little scientific evidence of Echinacea pallida‘s effectiveness for these health uses.
