Echinacea purpurea White Swan - Purple Coneflower

Echinacea purpurea 'White Swan' is a delicate variety with white satin ligules and a bronze-green heart dotted with orange. It is shorter in stature than most representatives of its family and can be used with spike herbs in a naturalistic or romantic garden. With its natural simplicity, it can be planted with its extravagant cousin E. purpurea 'Sundown' in the middle of a bed.

Echinacea purpurea, or purple coneflower, is an herbaceous perennial endemic to North America. It is found in the dry prairies of the Eastern United States or in sparsely wooded areas. Its natural habitat includes heathlands as well as cultivated lands. This asteraceae is characterised by large pale-pink to violet heads, sometimes white, carried by tall, dark green to purple stiff stems, which branch at their tips. Generally, it measures between 60cm (24in) and 1.2m (4ft). When the flower is immature, the ligules of the collar spread horizontally and then adopt a widely involute (curved downward or toward the stem) habit. The colours of the flower fade over time. The central florets form a cone-shaped dome with rough, amber-coloured tubes and pointed brown-red tips that become more prominent and darker as the flower blooms. This uniqueness earned it the name Echinacea, which comes from the Greek 'Ekhinos' meaning hedgehog. The dark green leaves are lanceolate, pubescent, and become sessile at the top of the stem.

It prefers rich, sandy, well-drained soils but is not affected by soil pH. It likes full sun and light partial shade. It is hardy and can withstand long periods of drought. Echinacea naturalises very easily. You can use it with other perennials in a meadow where it will spontaneously settle. Associate it with phlox, garlic, or tall eupatoriums.

Its honey-scented and nectar-rich fragrance attracts butterflies. Plant this coneflower near orchards to contribute to the pollination of fruit trees. In border beds within meadows or rock gardens, this beautiful daisy will naturally take over the space. Trimming faded flowers stimulates new blooms. However, you can leave some stems and heads during winter: they are sculptural and the seeds are highly prized by birds, especially bullfinches and goldfinches. The flowers make a sensation in bouquets within floral compositions.

The different species of echinacea, especially purpurea, pallida, and angustifolia, are panaceas in Native American pharmacopoeia. They are reputed to be immune-stimulating and promote the healing of winter illnesses (colds, flu, respiratory ailments). All cultivars have retained the properties of their original species.