Photo © 2004 Jim Jung and licensors. All rights reserved.

Purple Coneflower

Purple Coneflowers are plants of the black-soil tall-grass prairie region of central and northern Illinois, Missouri and Indiana. Nevertheless these large showy flowers are occasionally found in woodland glades and some of the larger hill prairies of our region.

Habitat

In our area Purple Coneflower, also known as Echinacea, is most commonly encountered in gardens as a cultivated wildflower. However it's also occasionally found growing wild on hill prairies and prairie remnants - though in the southern reaches of our area it's quite rare.

Food for wildlife

Attracting a multitude of pollinators this species seems to be especially favored by members of the Fritillary Butterfly clan. The large purple petals surround a cone of smaller florets that collectively secrete significant amounts of nectar. I've even seen hummingbirds visiting this species.

The seeds are eaten avidly by small birds. A large patch of coneflower in town will yeild an impressive crop of goldfinches in the fall.

Medicinal importance

This very pretty wildflower is also the source of the only documented viricide (a chemical compound that kills viruses) so far discovered. In Europe it is used for a number of virus-related diseases. All parts of the plant contain these compounds but the largest concentration occurs in the roots. As a result in some areas - but particularly Missouri - these native wildflowers have been ruthlessly dug by unscrupulous herb diggers out for a fast buck. As a result digging wild plants is now illegal throughout its range. With the rise of cultivation of this valuable medicinal the price of the roots has come down and will (hopefully) make it no longer profitable to poach this species from our wildlands.

While the roots are the principal item in the commercial drug trade, I've found that the leaves contain the same compounds and are easier to harvest and use with no harm to the plant. Should you have any doubt about your own plant's effectiveness just pull off a leaf and chew a corner of it for a few moments. If you notice an acridly sweet taste developing and a numbing sensation on your tongue the active ingredient is present.

Cultivation

Coneflower is easily grown from seed. In the fall select a bare spot of ground and after lightly breaking up the surface with a rake just broadcast the seed onto the roughened soil and cover with an inch or less of mulch. Like most wildflowers, Purple Coneflower seeds need a long chilling to break dormancy and germinate. If planted in the fall nearly every seed will germinate and sprout the following spring giving you all the medicinal and floral benefits anyone could wish.

Offsite Links:

• Echinacea purpurea page on the Herb Research Foundation site
• Purple Coneflower on the Mississippi Riverweb Museums site

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