Long before we had "Echinacea" in pills, lotions and added to our foods, the Native Americans used this perennial flower of the Great Plains as a medicinal plant. But to perennial gardeners, its great bloom in the garden is even more impressive than its medicinal properties.

Commonly called "Purple Coneflower," this perennial plant has been a treasured wildflowers forever, forming great, stiff-stemmed plants with large flowers that last for weeks. This is one perennial group that assures your garden of wonderful mid-summer color. Hardy as oaks, and as beautiful as any other perennial flower, Echinaceas are essential.