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Plant Database

Search for native plants by scientific name, common name or family. If you are not sure what you are looking for, try the Combination Search or our Recommended Species lists.

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Echinacea pallida (Pale purple coneflower)
Bransford, W.D. and Dolphia

Echinacea pallida

Echinacea pallida (Nutt.) Nutt.

Pale Purple Coneflower, Pale Coneflower

Asteraceae (Aster Family)

Synonym(s): Brauneria pallida, Rudbeckia pallida

USDA Symbol: ECPA

USDA Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (N)

Stout stems, usually 2-4 ft. tall, bear flower heads having lavender, or rarely white, rays drooping from a large, spiny, cone-shaped center. The ray flowers vary in length and width. Coarse-haired, narrowly lance-shaped leaves are attached to the plant near its base.

A sometimes aggressive plant that shows off best and benefits from mixing with grasses. The only Echinacea native to Ontario. (Ontario Native Plants 2002)

 

From the Image Gallery

21 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Leaf Retention: Semi-evergreen
Inflorescence: Head
Size Notes: Up to about 4-1/2 feet tall, often shorter.
Leaf: Green
Flower: Flowers 3 to 5 inches across.
Fruit: Dark. Fruit is a cypsela (pl. cypselae). Though technically incorrect, the fruit is often referred to as an achene.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Pink , Purple
Bloom Time: May , Jun , Jul
Bloom Notes: Color ranges from a pink so pale it almost appears white to rose.

Distribution

USA: AL , AR , CT , GA , IA , IL , IN , KS , LA , MA , ME , MI , MO , NC , NE , OK , SC , TN , TX , VA , WI
Canada: ON
Native Distribution: WI to e. KS, s. to GA & e. TX; rare east of Mississippi River.
Native Habitat: Prairies; open, wooded hillsides; pinelands

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Medium
Light Requirement: Sun
Soil Moisture: Dry , Moist
Soil pH: Alkaline (pH>7.2) , Acidic (pH<6.8) , Circumneutral (pH 6.8-7.2)
CaCO3 Tolerance: Medium
Drought Tolerance: High
Soil Description: Moist to dry, acid or lime soils, preferably rich

Benefit

Use Ornamental: An attractive bloomer for flower gardens and meadows.
Use Wildlife: Attracts bees.
Conspicuous Flowers: yes
Attracts: Butterflies

Value to Beneficial Insects

Special Value to Native Bees

This information was provided by the Pollinator Program at The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

Propagation

Propagation Material: Root Division , Seeds
Description: Easily transplanted by seed. Division seems to stimulate the development of too many stems and few flowers.
Seed Collection: Collect in Oct. and Nov.
Seed Treatment: Moist stratification improves germination. Sow in fall or spring.
Commercially Avail: yes

Find Seed or Plants

Find seed sources for this species at the Native Seed Network.

View propagation protocol from Native Plants Network.

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:

Fredericksburg Nature Center - Fredericksburg, TX
Native Plant Center at Westchester Community College, The - Valhalla, NY
Native Seed Network - Corvallis, OR

Bibliography

Bibref 1620 - Gardening with Native Plants of the South (Reprint Edition) (2009) Wasowski, S. with A. Wasowski
Bibref 946 - Gardening with Prairie Plants: How to Create Beautiful Native Landscapes (2002) Wasowski, Sally
Bibref 318 - Native Texas Plants: Landscaping Region by Region (2002) Wasowski, S. & A. Wasowski
Bibref 1294 - The Midwestern Native Garden: Native Alternatives to Nonnative Flowers and Plants An Illustrated Guide (2011) Adelman, Charlotte and Schwartz, Bernard L.

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Web Reference

Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.

From the Archive

Wildflower Newsletter 1985 VOL. 2, NO.2 - Guide to Black-Eyed Susan, Parkways, Wildflowers for the East, Arboretum Mall to...
Wildflower Newsletter 1996 VOL. 13, NO.2 - Annual Wildflower Days Festival, Wildflower Center Hotline, The Visitor Experien...

Additional resources

USDA: Find Echinacea pallida in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Echinacea pallida in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Echinacea pallida

Metadata

Record Modified: 2022-12-26
Research By: TWC Staff

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