Bloomipedia
Narrow-leaved purple coneflower (Echinacea angustifolia)
Photo: Catherine C. Galley via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Narrow-leaved purple coneflower

Echinacea angustifolia

Native in the lower 48

Narrow-leaved purple coneflower is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 3 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in April–July.

15states
3of our state lists
3,196U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Kansas, North Dakota, South Dakota

Quick look

Echinacea angustifolia, the narrow-leaved purple coneflower or blacksamson echinacea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is native to North America, where it is widespread across much of the Great Plains of central Canada and the central United States, with additional populations in surrounding regions.

  • It belongs to the Asteraceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 15 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to South Dakota, North Dakota and Kansas. NatureServe
  • In South Dakota, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in July–August. iNaturalist
  • In North Dakota, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–August. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 500 research-grade sightings of it in South Dakota, ranking #20 among the 108 flowers on our South Dakota list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 420 research-grade sightings of it in North Dakota, ranking #5 among the 109 flowers on our North Dakota list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 313 research-grade sightings of it in Kansas, ranking #87 among the 109 flowers on our Kansas list. iNaturalist

Narrow-leaved purple coneflower gift ideas

Handmade narrow-leaved purple coneflower gifts from independent makers.

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (475 records)
Bloom time in each of our 3 states
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
South DakotaNativeJuly–August500
North DakotaNativeJune–August420
KansasNativefew records313

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)
Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
NatureServe global
G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
South Dakota
No list South Dakota's endangered and threatened list (ARSD 41:10:02) covers animals only, so we show NatureServe's South Dakota ranks for plants. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in South Dakota.
North Dakota
No list North Dakota has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's North Dakota ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in North Dakota.
Kansas
No list Kansas's endangered and threatened list (K.A.R. 115-15-1) covers animals only, so we show NatureServe's Kansas ranks for plants. NatureServe: S5, secure in Kansas.
Rare elsewhere
Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: CO (S2), LA (S1), MO (S1). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no edibility or poison notes on its page), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. NC State Extension

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records narrow-leaved purple coneflower in 15 states plus Washington, D.C.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Wyoming; District of Columbia.

South Dakota counties with USDA records: Aurora, Bennett, Bon Homme, Brookings, Brown, Brule, Buffalo, Butte, Campbell, Charles Mix, Clay, Codington, Corson, Custer, Davison, Day, Dewey, Fall River, Faulk, Gregory, Haakon, Hamlin, Hanson, Harding, Hughes, Hutchinson, Jackson, Jerauld, Jones, Lawrence, Lincoln, Lyman, Marshall, McCook, McPherson, Meade, Mellette, Minnehaha, Pennington, Perkins, Roberts, Sanborn, Spink, Stanley, Sully, Todd, Tripp, Turner, Union, Walworth, Yankton, Ziebach.

North Dakota counties with USDA records: Adams, Barnes, Benson, Billings, Bottineau, Bowman, Burke, Burleigh, Cass, Dickey, Divide, Dunn, Eddy, Emmons, Golden Valley, Grant, Griggs, Hettinger, Kidder, LaMoure, Logan, McHenry, McIntosh, McKenzie, McLean, Mercer, Morton, Mountrail, Nelson, Oliver, Pierce, Ramsey, Ransom, Renville, Richland, Rolette, Sargent, Sheridan, Sioux, Slope, Stark, Steele, Stutsman, Ward, Williams.

Kansas counties with USDA records: Barber, Barton, Butler, Chase, Cheyenne, Clark, Clay, Cloud, Comanche, Cowley, Decatur, Dickinson, Edwards, Ellis, Ellsworth, Finney, Ford, Geary, Gove, Graham, Gray, Greeley, Greenwood, Hamilton, Harvey, Hodgeman, Jewell, Kingman, Kiowa, Lane, Lincoln, Logan, Lyon, Marion, Marshall, McPherson, Meade, Mitchell, Morris, Morton, Ness, Norton, Osborne, Ottawa, Pawnee, Phillips, Pottawatomie, Pratt, Rawlins, Reno, Republic, Rice, Riley, Rooks, Rush, Russell, Saline, Scott, Sedgwick, Seward, Sheridan, Sherman, Smith, Sumner, Thomas, Trego, Wabaunsee, Wallace, Washington, Wichita.

More South Dakota flowers

Sources