Echinacea JS Engeltje Pretty Parasols - Purple coneflower

Echinacea 'JS Engeltje Pretty Parasols' is a flowering perennial with an upright habit, whose pure white flowers, slightly tinged with pink at the base, bloom throughout the summer. Beautiful and attractive, this plant, favored by enthusiasts, is ideal for cutting or drying. It is also a very resistant plant that adapts to difficult conditions, occasionally tolerating intense heat, humidity, and drought. It can even grow in poor soils.

Native to the western United States, the purple coneflower is a perennial of high meadows, environments where competition with other plants is tough. 'JS Engeltje' is an upright form, about 90cm (35in) tall and 50cm (20in) wide. It belongs to the 'Pretty Parasols' series, which have sturdy stems that do not bend in the wind. They bear several flowers that do not bloom at the same time, thus extending the flowering period. The dark green, lanceolate, deciduous leaves are covered in rough hairs. Flowering occurs from July to October, and it is highly visited by butterflies and bees. The branched, green-redish stems are topped with a pure white head with an orange central disc. The base of the ligulate flowers (the "petals") is pale pink. This plant firmly and deeply anchors itself in the soil, thanks to its well-developed root system.

The Rudbeckia 'JS Engeltje' can be paired with other coneflowers, prairie plants such as Monardas, the 'Cluden Sapphire' geranium, as well as airy grasses like Eragrostis spectabilis. Once dried, the flowers will make beautiful bouquets. They can also be left in place in autumn for the delight of birds.

Properties: In homeopathy, its root is used to fight colds and strengthen the immune system. These properties were already used by Native Americans. The name Echinacea comes from the Greek echinos, which means "hedgehog-like", and acea, which means "having the shape of", alluding to the heart of the flowers.