Echinacea purpurea, also known as the purple coneflower, is a perennial herbaceous plant native to the central to southeastern United States. It can be found in moist prairies, meadows, and open woods, from Ohio to Michigan to Iowa and south to Louisiana and Georgia. Typically reaching 2-4 feet produces beautiful daisy-like purple flowers throughout the summer. These flowers grow on solid stems covered in coarse, ovate to broad-lanceolate, dark green leaves. The flowers are excellent for fresh-cut arrangements or dried flowers.

The dead flower stems will stay upright throughout the winter. Goldfinches or other seed-eating birds may visit the blackened cones by leaving the flower heads. This adaptable plant can thrive in drought, heat, humidity, and poor soil. It grows in full sun to part shade and is easy to cultivate in average, well-drained soil. While it usually reblooms without deadheading, removing spent flowers can improve its appearance. The plant can be divided when the clumps become overcrowded, typically every four years. Additionally, the plant self-seeds quite freely if you leave at least some of the seed heads in place.