Quick Facts
Exposure: Full Sun to Part Shade
Height at Maturity: 2-4 Feet
Usage: Flower Gardens
Shipped As: Bare-root
Planting Zones: 3-8
Product Details
Purple coneflower plants for sale at Tennessee Wholesale Nursery are true Echinacea purpurea, the native eastern purple coneflower prized for rosy-purple petals around a glowing copper-orange cone. We ship bare-root purple coneflower in wholesale packs of 25, 50, 100 and 500 for landscapers, garden centers, municipalities, restoration crews and gardeners planting pollinator meadows in volume.
What Is Purple Coneflower?
Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) is a long-lived herbaceous perennial in the aster family (Asteraceae), native to prairies, open woodlands and meadows across the eastern and central United States. It is one of the most widely planted native wildflowers in North America, valued for summer-long color, pollinator value and easy establishment in a wide range of soils.
Purple Coneflower Height, Size and Growing Zones
- Botanical name: Echinacea purpurea
- Height: 2 to 4 feet
- Spread: 18 to 24 inches
- Hardiness zones: USDA 3 to 8
- Light: Full sun to part shade (most blooms in full sun)
- Soil: Adapts to clay, loam, sand and rocky ground with good drainage
- Bloom time: June through August
- Shipped as: Bare-root, dormant division
Coneflowers grow upright in tidy clumps, giving you strong vertical color from a compact footprint. Once established, the deep root system makes this purple coneflower perennial remarkably drought tolerant.
Purple Coneflower Bloom Time and Seed Heads
Each daisy-like flower reaches up to 5 inches across, with gracefully arching petals beneath a raised, bristly cone. Purple coneflower bloom time runs from early summer into late summer, and spent cones stay attractive well into winter. Leave seed heads standing in fall and goldfinches will visit to feed, while upright stems give native stem-nesting bees a place to overwinter.
Why Pollinators Love Echinacea Purpurea
Bees, butterflies and skippers visit purple coneflower all summer, and it serves as a host plant for the silvery checkerspot butterfly. It is also naturally deer resistant, making it a dependable choice for roadside, park and rural plantings. See our guide to perennials that attract pollinators for more plants to pair with it.
Purple Coneflower Landscaping Uses
Purple coneflower shines in sunny garden borders, native meadow mixes, prairie restorations, roadside plantings, rain garden edges, cottage beds and commercial landscapes. Its fibrous roots help hold soil on gentle slopes, making it a colorful addition to erosion control plantings and restoration and mitigation projects.
Mass planting tip: Plant in drifts of 25 or more for bold, cohesive color. Space plants 18 to 24 inches apart so each clump fills in naturally.
Coneflower Companion Plants
Pair purple coneflower with other sun-loving natives such as black-eyed Susan, bee balm, butterfly weed and native grasses for a long season of color. For lower-effort combinations, browse our low-maintenance perennials for busy gardeners, and shop the full wholesale perennials collection.
How to Plant Bare-Root Purple Coneflower
- Plant as soon as your order arrives. Soak roots in water for about an hour.
- Dig a hole wide enough to spread the roots naturally.
- Set the crown level with the soil surface, backfill and firm gently.
- Water thoroughly, then water weekly through the first growing season.
Lean, well-drained soil produces the sturdiest stems, so no rich fertilizer is needed. Learn more in our planting instructions and bare-root plant guide.
Caring for Purple Coneflower
Care is light once plants settle in. Water during extended dry spells the first year, and cut stems back in late winter, or leave 12 to 24 inches standing for overwintering bees. Mature clumps can be divided every few years in early spring or fall to multiply your planting at no extra cost. Purple coneflower also self-sows gently, filling gaps in meadows and naturalized areas over time.
Buying Purple Coneflower in Bulk
Wholesale packs let you match your order to the project. At 18-inch spacing, 100 plants cover roughly 225 square feet, and 500 plants fill a large slope, meadow or roadside strip. Larger packs bring a lower per-plant price, with savings of up to 51% compared with 25-plant packs.
Grown by Tennessee Growers Since 1959
Tennessee Wholesale Nursery is the wholesale division of TN Nursery, founded in 1959 by Roscoe Tate. For more than six decades our family has grown native plants on 170 acres in Tennessee, supplying landscapers, government agencies and elite organizations including plantings for the Washington Monument and Arlington National Cemetery. See our media and press features and how we package our plants to arrive fresh.
Every order is guaranteed to arrive alive. Details are in our shipping information and warranty policy.
Purple Coneflower FAQs
How tall does purple coneflower get?
Purple coneflower typically grows 2 to 4 feet tall and 18 to 24 inches wide, forming upright clumps.
When does purple coneflower bloom?
It blooms from June through August, with seed heads that remain attractive into winter.
Does purple coneflower need full sun?
Purple coneflower grows in full sun to part shade and produces the most flowers in full sun.
What zones does purple coneflower grow in?
Echinacea purpurea is hardy in USDA zones 3 through 8.
Is purple coneflower native?
Yes. Purple coneflower is native to the eastern and central United States, where it grows in prairies, meadows and open woodlands.
Is purple coneflower deer resistant?
Yes. Deer generally pass over purple coneflower, making it a reliable choice for open and rural sites.
How far apart should I plant purple coneflower?
Space plants 18 to 24 inches apart. A pack of 100 at 18-inch spacing covers about 225 square feet.
Does purple coneflower come back every year?
Yes. Purple coneflower is a hardy perennial that returns each year and gently self-sows to fill in naturally.