purple coneflower

noun

: any of a North American genus (Echinacea, especially E. purpurea) of coarse perennial composite herbs with thick rough leaves and long-stalked flower heads having purplish-brown cone-shaped disks and usually pink to purplish rays

Examples of purple coneflower in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Fifty varieties of plants are available for purchase, including four milkweed varieties, several grasses, native purple coneflower, cardinal flower, great blue lobelia, meadow blazing star, New England aster, prairie smoke, wild columbine and wild lupine. —Journal Sentinel, 8 Apr. 2024

Behind him, in the center of the circle, Brandon Fountain knelt to look into a cluster of purple coneflowers. —Gregory S. Schneider, Washington Post, 2 Sep. 2023

There’s a great birch, Virginia creeper, purple coneflowers. —Tammy Lagorce, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2023

Instead: For a long-lasting punch of purple in the garden, plant native purple coneflower or blazing star instead of purple loosestrife. —Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Sep. 2022

Some evidence suggests echinacea might help reduce the effects of upper respiratory tract infections but findings are limited.1 Echinacea, or purple coneflower, is an herb traditionally used in some Native American medicinal practices for wound healing. —Stephanie Brown, Verywell Health, 31 Mar. 2023

At her home in Old Lake Highlands, Smith has quite a few favorite species that thrive, including purple coneflower, autumn sage, Texas sage, lantana, four-nerve daisy, mealycup sage and others. —Holly Haber, Dallas News, 23 Mar. 2023

Perennials such as purple coneflower and grasses such as prairie dropseed provide seed as a food source. —Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2023

According to a village news release, the MWRD provided biosolid soil that was used for planting native species like milkweed and purple coneflower that are tolerant of salt and pollutants washed in from the street. —Gary Gibula, Chicago Tribune, 15 Dec. 2022

Word History

First Known Use

1848, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

purple coneflower

noun

purple cone·​flow·​er -ˈkōn-ˌflau̇(-ə)r 

: any of three composite herbs (Echinacea purpurea, E. pallida, and E. angustifolia) which have usually reddish purple to pale pink ray flowers and whose various parts (as the dried rhizome, stems, or leaves) are used in the preparation of the dietary supplement echinacea