Theres a family of plants called Asteraceae. You will have likely heard of daisies, sunflowers and asters before, but have you heard of echinacea or purple coneflowers? In sync, theyre all types of Asteraceae and they all have their own distinct qualities that make them beautiful in factor home or garden[1].
Plant in the North American continent, its believed that echinacea have been used by Native Americans for hundreds of years[2]. Growing principally in central states, this is a plant remarkably tolerant to droughts in that its flowers are particularly resistant and can soft alter to adverse conditions.
Its nickname has roots in the Greek discussion echinos, which means hedgehog[3]. Thats since its flower riffraff have a spiky appearance, resembling the animals thorny back. Echinacea can grow completely high with some stems approach a number of feet. Another distinctive characteristic is its purple flower petals that add colour and vibrancy to any setting.
With nine different species of echinacea in total, lets explore five of them found in North America:
Echinacea pallida
Its popularly known as Pale Purple Coneflower, and its hairy stems can grow as much as 3 feet tall[4]. Its present in more than twenty American states and also in Canada. However, its existence is under threat in Tennessee and Wisconsin[5] so its listed on a federally - managed watch list.
Echinacea angustifolia
Like the pallida species, the angustifolia also has hairy stems and its pink coloured flowers attract the attention of many types of animals. Although deer and insects dont pose a problem, moles and gophers eat the plants roots. The American canary, Goldfinch, can have an impact on its survival since they eat angustifolia seeds[6].
Echinacea paradoxa
Theres something peculiar about the paradoxa. While its known as Bushs Purple Coneflower, the flowers are yellow. Found in Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas and Arkansas, this species is under particular threat in the latter state[7].
Echinacea laevigata
This species is identified as Smooth Purple Coneflower and thats probably because it has hairless stems and plump roots. With flowers blooming from May to July, it needs plenty of sunlight to grow. Thats one of the reasons why the laevigata does well in terrain susceptible to natural fires as it will propagate more easily in areas where there is no competition with other plants. [8]
Echinacea atrorubens
Commonly referred to as Topeka Purple Coneflower, the atrorubens variety grows in prairies in Oklahoma, Texas and Kansas. [9]
There you go! Who ' d have thought that echinacea came from such a diverse family of plants...
[1] Natural Resources Conservation Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Genera for Family=Asteraceae. http: / / plants. usda. gov / java / generaRpt? searchTxt=Asteraceae&symbol=ECAT
[2] Ehrlich, Steven D. ( Article last reviewed on 12 / 14 / 2009 ). Echinacea. http: / / www. umm. edu / altmed / articles / echinacea - 000239. htm
[3] Ehrlich, Steven D. ( Article last reviewed on 12 / 14 / 2009 ). Echinacea. http: / / www. umm. edu / altmed / articles / echinacea - 000239. htm
[4] Natural Resources Conservation Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Plant Fact Sheet. http: / / plants. usda. gov / factsheet / pdf / fs_ecpa. pdf
[5] Natural Resources Conservation Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Echinacea pallida ( Nutt. ) Nutt. http: / / plants. usda. gov / java / profile? symbol=ECPA
[6] Natural Resources Conservation Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Plant Guide. http: / / plants. usda. gov / plantguide / pdf / cs_ecan2. pdf
[7] Natural Resources Conservation Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Echinacea paradoxa ( J. B. S. Norton ) Britton. http: / / plants. usda. gov / java / profile? symbol=ECPA2
[8] North Carolina Natural Heritage Program. Smooth coneflower. http: / / www. ncnhp. org / Images / 113. pdf
[9] Natural Resources Conservation Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Echinacea atrorubens Nutt. http: / / plants. usda. gov / java / profile? symbol=ECAT
