Plant Preference/Growing Conditions:

Pale Purple Coneflowers are best grown in full sun and in moist to dry soils. They prefer acidic soils that are rich in lime and similar minerals.

Growth Habit/Description:

Small perennial plant common in prairies. Usually ranging between 2’-4' in height.  Leaves are coarse and dark green.  Stems are short and thick, with tall lavender-colored flowers that average between 3"-5" across.  Dark fruit called cypselae.

Bloom Season:

Blooms through May, June, and July, with colors ranging from very pale pink to rose red, with in-between colors often having lavender tones.

Fall and/or Winter Interest?

No. 

Host Plant for Caterpillars?

Yes.  Pale purple coneflowers are a host plant for the silvery checkerspot (Chlosyne nycteis).

Other Known Ecological Value?

Yes.   Leaves attract bees and butterflies, and flower heads provide food for the wavy-line emerald moth and the common eupithecia.

Origin of Name:  Echinos is Greek for "hedgehog", in reference to the spiny and spike-like center cone and pallida comes from the Latin word for "pale".

Related Plant Species:  The pale purple coneflower is often mistaken for one of its close relatives, the purple coneflower. While it can be difficult to tell the two apart, the pale purple coneflower blooms earlier and has longer and narrower leaves that are hairier and a lighter green color, usually further towards the bottom of the plant. 

Use For Food/Medicine:  There are many anecdotal tales of the pale purple coneflower being good for the immune system.  There is some evidence for its relative plant, the purple coneflower, but it is sparse.

Echinacea pallida  - Plant Finder. (n.d.). https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=c570

Echinacea pallida (Pale Purple Coneflower) | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox. (n.d.). https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/echinacea-pallida/

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - The University of Texas at Austin. (n.d.). https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ECPA

USDA NRCS Elsberry Plant Materials Center. (n.d.). Plant fact sheet: PALE PURPLE CONEFLOWER echinacea pallida. United States Department of Agriculture, 1–2. https://plants.usda.gov/DocumentLibrary/factsheet/pdf/fs_ecpa.pdf#:~:text=Description%20Pale%20purple%20coneflower%20is%20a%20native%20perennial,with%20several%20parallel%20veins%20running%20along%20their%20lengths.

Last edited by Lukas Bowler, September 2013.