Gardening: Coneflowers a sturdy addition to Prairie gardens

Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) is a perennial that has experienced an explosion of new cultivars over the last decade, many of which were largely untested on the Prairies at the time of their release. Native to the North American Midwest, Echineacea is a nectar source for both butterflies and bees. The common name arises from the raised central cone of the flowers while the botanical name is from the Greek word echinos, meaning hedgehog, alluding to both the bristly seed head and the prickly sc