What are Coneflowers?
Coneflowers are flowering plants in the Ratibida, Echinacea, or Rudbeckia genus. They are named for the distinctive spiky cones in the middle of each blossom. These plants are native to North America, where they have been used in traditional medicine for centuries, and they are also lovely ornamentals for the garden. Some good companion plants for coneflowers include blue flax, yarrow, Russian sage, verbena, lavender, and black-eyed Susans. In nature, these hardy perennials have purple, yellow, brown, or sometimes black blossoms on long stems, and they superficially resemble daisies, although the petals will start to curl back from the middle of the flower as the flower ages, rather than remaining rayed around the center as with daisies. Gardeners have produced white, pink, orange, and a variety of other colors, and they have selectively bred more bushy plants, making coneflowers less leggy and more compact. Garden stores which stock coneflowers usually offer a range of colors to choos
