Current River Conservation Area encompasses approximately 29,000 acres of forested ozark land.
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Scientific Name
Echinacea purpurea
Family
Asteraceae (daisies)
Description
Purple coneflower is a native perennial wildflower with large, daisy-like flowers with slightly drooping magenta “petals” (ray flowers). Blooms May through October. Flowerheads are usually solitary, terminal, and quite large. The disk (center) is orange and spiny. The ray flowers are various shades of magenta or rose-purple. Basal leaves have long stems and grow to 6 inches long; they are coarsely toothed, oblong, and rounded at the base. Upper leaves are smaller, lance-shaped, and may or may not have stems.
Size
Height: to about 3 feet.
Where To Find
Scattered nearly throughout the state, though mostly absent from the Bootheel and northwestern Missouri. Though this species is scattered in the wild, it is widely grown in cultivation.
Habitat and Conservation
Appears in openings in moist woods and wooded bottomlands, upland prairies, savannas, pastures, and roadsides, preferring moister soils than other species of coneflower. Many species of coneflowers have suffered in the wild due to indiscriminate, often illegal root-digging for the international herbal medicine market. This species, along with various hybrids and cultivars, is commonly available at garden centers.
Status
Native Missouri wildflower. Popular native perennial plant for landscaping. Attracts pollinators.
Human Connections
In gardens, purple coneflowers are showy, long-blooming, hardy, and good for cut flowers. Native Americans used the roots of coneflowers to make medicines, and modern herbalists continue to use this extract, called Echinacea after the genus name, for treating the common cold and other ailments.
Ecosystem Connections
This species is a good nectar source for butterflies and bees. In winter, goldfinches relish its seeds. Its network of root fibers help to bind soils, protecting against erosion.
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Purple coneflower, a Missouri native.
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Coneflowers attract pollinators and also provide seeds for birds.
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MDC Staff
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Purple Coneflower video in the wild.
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Kevin Muenks
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David Stonner
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David Stonner
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Similar Species
Similar Species
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Where to See Species
Danville Conservation Area is in Montgomery County, southeast of the community of Danville on Route RB.
Niawathe Prairie Conservation Area is located in Dade County, and covers 320 acres.
Horse Creek Prairie Conservation Area is in Dade County and covers 80 acres. The entire area is remnant prairie, with one brushy draw.
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!