Echinacea pallida (pale purple coneflower)

This Echinacea from the Great Plains has a more upright growth habit than the familiar purple coneflower, blooms about a month earlier (June-July) and has lighter colored, lavender-pink blooms. It is a long-lived plant that once established has a deep taproot and can handle drought, but not excessive moisture. Echinacea pallida grows to 3', prefers full sun, and grows in dry to average soil.

Photo credit: Eric Hunt