Echinacea pallida

Common Name:
Pale Purple Coneflower

Description:
Echinacea pallida is a hardy and elegant herbaceous perennial known for its distinctive, drooping pale pink to lavender petals surrounding a prominent central cone. Native to North America, this species brings a naturalistic, meadow-style aesthetic to garden settings and is highly valued for its resilience and ecological benefits. Flowering from late spring through summer, it produces tall, slender stems that sway gently in the breeze, adding movement and softness to planting schemes. Well-suited to Melbourne conditions, it thrives in full sun and well-drained soils, showing excellent drought tolerance once established. Its deep taproot allows it to withstand dry periods and poor soils, making it ideal for low-maintenance and water-wise gardens. In addition to its ornamental appeal, Echinacea pallida is highly attractive to bees and butterflies, while its seed heads provide food for birds in autumn and winter if left uncut.

Form:
*Shrub - Clumping / Grass-like / Mounding

Mature Size:
Height: 0.8–1.2 m
Width: 0.4–0.6 m

Aspect:
*Full Sun

Flowering:
*Flowers in Spring
*Flowers in Summer

Flower Colour:
Pale pink
Soft lavender

Key Attributes:
*Bee Attracting
*Bird Attracting
*Perennial
*Herbaceous
*Drought tolerant once established
*Suitable for Cottage Gardens
*Suitable for Naturalistic Planting
*Long flowering period
*Attractive seed heads for winter interest

Toxicity:
Generally considered non-toxic to humans and animals.

Companion Plants:
Rudbeckia
Salvia
Lavender
Achillea
Gaura
Stipa tenuissima

For more information and photos of this species, Warners Nursery has detailed information available to the public here