sanguinea) has pink or purple ray florets that droop. pallida) has pale pink ray florets that are up to three inches long and extremely narrow. serotina) is native to Louisiana and Arkansas, and has very stiff hairs on its narrow leaves. Similar in color to purple coneflower, it stands out because the ray florets are erect rather than drooping as with most other species. You can now find it throughout its native range, which is limited to an area within a 14-mile radius near Nashville, Tennessee. tennesseensis) was once listed as endangered, but conservation efforts have helped bring it back from the brink. This one has extremely narrow ray florets in light purple to pink, and the stems are smooth rather than hairy. laevigata) is currently federally listed as endangered. It looks similar to the common purple coneflower. angustifolia), which is one of the most important species for medicinal use amongst native populations and has the largest natural range. The other species include the narrow-leaf coneflower ( E. However, coneflowers cross-pollinate readily with one another, so you will find natural varieties out there that don’t entirely fit the description of one species. purpurea is by far the most common and the one that most of the hybrids and cultivars you can purchase at garden stores are derived from. There are nine recognized species, though E. Species with taproots have long, thick roots that can grow down to eight feet deep and an inch in diameter. That means these two species do better with a bit more water and they transplant better than others. ‘Fragrant Angel’ and ‘Tangerine Dream,’ for instance, have a strong, sweet fragrance.Īll species of echinacea have long taproots except for E. However, there are a few cultivars today that have a more enticing scent. purpurea cultivars growing in my garden and found them to have a very faint sweet scent if I got up close. That roughly translates to “smells like muskrat scent.” This unpleasant aroma seems to apply more to wild species than cultivated types.

In Potawatomi, the plant is called ashosikwimia’kuk. Until recently, coneflowers weren’t admired for their scent. They don’t carry pollen and they can’t be pollinated or produce seed. If you picture a sunflower, with its halo of yellow ray florets and its center of seeds, it’s the same idea.īy the way, the ray florets are just there to attract pollinators with their colorful appearance.

Echinacea magnus purple coneflower