Narrow Leaf Coneflower is a native meadow perennial found growing in dry prairies and barrens with rocky to sandy-clay soils in central Canada and the USA in the aster family. It has daisy-like blossoms on a single tall stalk in early summer. It bears copper-orange central cones surrounded by short, arching, ray petals in pink or purple-pink, and occasionally white." Echinacea" is derived from the Greek word echinos which means sea-urchin or hedgehog, referring to the pointy cone found in the center of flowers in this genus. Grows well in deep, well-drained soil in full sun. It has a clumping habit, so divide clumps in spring every 3-4 years. Root cuttings can be made in autumn. It is tolerant of drought, heat, humidity, and poor soils. Deadheading prolongs flowering and cutting back stems will promote more flowering. This plant is a great addition to a pollinator, native, or meadow garden and will attract a variety of wildlife including birds, butterflies and bees. Coneflower is an important food source for the Silvery checkerspot caterpillar ( Chlosyne nycteis ) Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems : Leaf miners, powdery mildew, bacterial spots, and gray mold. Vine weevils may feed on roots.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand; Shallow Rocky
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage
NC region
Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 0 in. | Width: 0 ft. 10 in. - 1 ft. 6 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (1-3 ft)
Form & Appearance
Texture
Medium
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Lanceolate; Ovate
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf feel
Rough
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Green leaves are 4-6 inches long and narrow lanceolate to ovate in shape. They occur mostly basally on the lower 1/3 of the stem. They are hairy and rough feeling with 3 distinct veins.
Flower color
Pink; Purple/Lavender; White
Flower value
Good Cut; Showy
Flower form
Head
Flower shape
Radial
Flower size
3-6 inches
Flower detail
Pink, purple, sometimes white ray flowers with a purple-brown cone of disk flowers in the center. The pollen color is yellow (which differentiates it from E. pallida's white pollen). The rays are narrow with notched tips and often droop downward.
Bloom time
Summer
Fruit type
Achene
Fruit detail
Seeds produced in the center cone are small, dark, 4-sided achenes that are attractive to birds.
Stem color
Green; Pink
Stem detail
Green ridged hairy stems are green but may be pink-tinged
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
North America
Distribution
Central USA
Wildlife value
This plant supports Wavy-lined Emerald (Synchlora aerata) larvae. Native bees and butterflies are attracted to the nectar in the flowers, birds enjoy the seeds if they are left on the plant.