Owned by the Missouri Prairie Foundation and managed by the Missouri Department of Conservation, La Petite Gemme Prairie Conservation Area provides an excellent example of a remnant prairie.
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Scientific Name
Echinacea pallida
Family
Asteraceae (daisies)
Description
Pale purple coneflower is a showy perennial with a mostly unbranching stem arising from basal leaves, with a single, sunflower-like flower head. The disk is knoblike, brown, with white stamens protruding; the ray flowers are pale purple, rose, or magenta (rarely white), slender and drooping, to 3½ inches long, the ends notched. The pollen is white. Blooms May–July. The basal leaves are in a clump, are strap-shaped, and are up to 13 inches long including the long stalks; the stem leaves are shorter and narrow. The stems and leaves have stiff, spreading hairs. The fruits are in a burrlike, dome-shaped head that blackens upon drying.
Similar species: Glade coneflower (E. simulata) is most similar; it has yellow, not white pollen, and it occurs mainly in the eastern Ozarks.
Size
Height: to 3 feet.
Where To Find
Scattered statewide, although apparently absent from the Mississippi Lowlands; in the eastern Ozarks, glade coneflower (Echinacea simulata) tends to predominate.
Habitat and Conservation
Occurs in prairies, glades, savannas, openings of dry upland forests, pastures, roadsides, and railroads. Along with other flowers in the genus Echinacea, this plant is often targeted by unscrupulous root collectors who sell them to manufacturers of herbal medicines. Such vandalism is one reason laws were enacted restricting the collecting of plants from Missouri's public highways.
Status
Native Missouri perennial wildflower. Popular in native landscaping.
Human Connections
Though scientists debate its efficacy, this and other echinaceas are used for medicinal purposes and are threatened by root diggers. Laws restricting collection have been enacted to protect wild populations. Coneflowers are easily grown in gardens and are available at native plant nurseries.
Ecosystem Connections
The seeds of coneflowers are eaten by goldfinches, whose late-summer breeding time corresponds with the abundant seed set of these and other sunflower-family flowers such as goldenrods, ironweed, and others.
The tough rootstocks of coneflowers prevent erosion.
The regal fritillary, arogos skipper, and Ottoe skipper are three native prairie butterflies that rely heavily on pale purple coneflower for nectar.
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You can tell pale purple coneflower from our other four coneflowers by its white pollen, drooping pink or purple ray flowers, and narrow, tapering leaves.
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Pale purple coneflower blooms May-July. Its slender, drooping, pale purple ray flowers are distinctive. Check your ID by noting its white (not yellow) pollen among the spiky bracts of the burlike flowerhead.
Credit
Julianna Schroeder
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Pale purple coneflower is one of the many interesting plants found in tallgrass prairies. Little remains of the tallgrass prairie that once covered millions of acres of America.
Credit
Jim Rathert
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Though scientists debate its efficacy, this and other echinaceas are used for medicinal purposes and are threatened by root diggers. Laws restricting collection have been enacted to protect wild populations.
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Noppadol Paothong
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The seeds of coneflowers are eaten by goldfinches, whose late-summer breeding time corresponds with the abundant seed set of these and other sunflower-family flowers.
Credit
Jim Rathert
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Credit
Noppadol Paothong
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Noppadol Paothong
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Similar Species
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Where to See Species
About Wildflowers, Grasses and Other Nonwoody Plants in Missouri
A very simple way of thinking about the green world is to divide the vascular plants into two groups: woody and nonwoody (or herbaceous). But this is an artificial division; many plant families include some species that are woody and some that are not. The diversity of nonwoody vascular plants is staggering! Think of all the ferns, grasses, sedges, lilies, peas, sunflowers, nightshades, milkweeds, mustards, mints, and mallows — weeds and wildflowers — and many more!