Species of Echinacea

Purple or Pink

• Perhaps the best known of the echinacea species is Echinacea purpurea, called the purple coneflower, which has large, flat cones and slightly drooping petals that are pinkish purple. They reach about 3 feet in height. The Echinacea angustifolia species, sometimes known as narrow-leaved coneflower, is shorter than other coneflowers -- as low-growing as 1 foot tall. The centers are burnt orange, with pale pink or pale purple drooping petals. As its name suggests, its leaves are more slender than some of its fellow echinacea species. A similar species, Echinacea pallida, has the descriptive common name, pale purple coneflower. The petals are exceptionally narrow and droop downwards from a spiked, rounded cone. Echinacea tennesseensis, the Tennessee coneflower, is only found in sections of that state and in general grows best in USDA zones 5 and 6. It stands about 2 feet tall, with pale purple petals that curve up from a large rounded cone.

Yellow

• As a native species with a color from Mother Nature rather than flower breeders, the yellow coneflower (Echinacea paradoxa) is considered a rarity amid the mostly pink and purple echinaceas -- hence the "paradox" in its botanical name. The yellow, or sometimes orange-yellow petals, are slightly drooping and frame large gently rounded cones. This Ozark native is slightly less hardy than other coneflowers and is reliably perennial in USDA zones 5 to 8.

Special Characteristics

• A few species of coneflowers set them apart from similar-looking echinacea species. Echinacea sanguinea, or sanguine purple coneflower, gets its name from the blood- red color of the flower's center, although the light purple outer petals resemble that of Echinacea pallida. Another species, Echinacea laevigata, is known as the smooth purple coneflower. This endangered species is known for an unusually broad range of variations in petal color, including dark red and white. The flower currently grows mostly in USDA zones 6 to 7. The species Echinacea atrorubens, or Topeka purple coneflower, is another rare species that also thrives in USDA zones 6 to 7. Physically, its unusually large cone sets it apart, as does its deep red petals.

Hybrids and Cultivars

• By no means are you limited to purple or yellow coneflowers. Cultivars of all of the major species, as well as hybrid breeding, have resulted in a rainbow of colors in both cone and petal. Among the cultivars of Echinacea purpurea are "White Swan," a daisy-like flower; "Kim's Knee High," the hot-pink dwarf coneflower; and the sweetly scented, white-petaled "Fragrant Angel." Hybrids include the "Harvest Moon," with gold cones and petals; "Art's Pride," with orange petals and a sweet fragrance; lemon-yellow "Sunrise"; and "Twilight," which features red cones and petals. If you're intrigued by green flowers, consider "Green Jewel," which has a large dark-green cone nestled in pale green petals, or "Coconut Lime," with a fuzzy, rounded green cone surrounded by white petals.