Echinacea

wildflower · daisy family · prairie plant · North America

Ten beautiful species. Echinacea is a genus of ten different flowering plants, all native to eastern and central North America. People commonly call them coneflowers because of their distinctive shape.

Spiky name origin. The word echinacea comes from the Greek word for hedgehog because the center of the flower has spiky parts that look prickly, just like a hedgehog's quills.

Summer showstoppers. These plants grow wild in prairies and open wooded areas, and they produce large, showy flowers that bloom during the summer months.

Garden favorites. Many gardeners grow echinacea in their yards because the flowers are so beautiful and eye-catching.

Protected comeback. Two echinacea species were once endangered, but one of them, E. tennesseensis, has recovered so well that it was removed from the endangered species list.