Flower profile

Pale purple coneflower

Echinacea pallida

Pale purple coneflower (Echinacea pallida) is a flowering plant in the Asteraceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly May–July across the U.S.

Native to Arkansas

Pale purple coneflower is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states.

23states where USDA records it

852AR sightings*

4,624U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Arkansas

Quick look

Echinacea pallida, the pale purple coneflower, is a species of herbaceous perennial plant in the family Asteraceae. It is sometimes grown in gardens and used for medicinal purposes. Its native range is the central region of the United States and Ontario, Canada.
From Wikipedia's article Echinacea pallida, CC BY-SA 4.0.

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 23 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to Arkansas. ^NatureServe
USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as white. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as early summer. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 1.2 ft. ^{USDA PLANTS}
iNaturalist has 852 research-grade sightings of it in Arkansas, ranking #49 among the 170 flowers on our Arkansas list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month in Arkansas (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (36 records)

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
Arkansas: No list Arkansas has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Arkansas ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Arkansas.
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: AL (S2), GA (S1), NE (S1), TN (S1), WI (S2). (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 pale purple coneflower in 23 states.

AKMEVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILWIMINYRIMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTCAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin.

Arkansas counties with USDA records: Arkansas, Ashley, Baxter, Benton, Bradley, Carroll, Clark, Cleburne, Columbia, Conway, Craighead, Crawford, Dallas, Drew, Faulkner, Franklin, Fulton, Garland, Grant, Hempstead, Hot Spring, Howard, Independence, Izard, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Lafayette, Lincoln, Little River, Logan, Lonoke, Madison, Marion, Miller, Mississippi, Montgomery, Newton, Ouachita, Perry, Pike, Polk, Pope, Prairie, Pulaski, Randolph, Saline, Scott, Sebastian, Sevier, Sharp, Stone, Union, Washington, White, Yell.

Growing conditions

USDA PLANTS gives Pale purple coneflower a high shade tolerance, medium drought tolerance and medium moisture use. It is rated for soil pH 6.5 to 7.2 and winter lows down to -33 °F.

Shade tolerance: High
Drought tolerance: Medium
Moisture use: Medium
Soil textures it is adapted to: coarse, medium, fine
Soil pH range: 6.5 to 7.2
Minimum temperature tolerated: -33 °F
Frost-free days needed (minimum): 90
Annual precipitation range: 14 to 40 inches
Minimum root depth: 14 inches
Salinity tolerance: Low
Fertility requirement: Low
Growth rate: Moderate
Lifespan: Long
Active growth period: Spring and Summer
Fruit or seed: Black · Summer to Fall
Can be propagated by: seed
Commercial availability: Routinely Available

From the USDA PLANTS characteristics data for ECPA. USDA ratings are general guidance for the species, not a guarantee for your garden.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Canada: Native; Lower 48 states: Native.

Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Brauneria pallida, Rudbeckia pallida.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 389 counties across 20 states; the most are in Missouri (91), Illinois (77), Arkansas (56).

Other Echinacea on Bloomipedia (3): Purple coneflower, Narrow-leaved purple coneflower, Tennessee purple coneflower.

More from the Asteraceae family (212 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Common yarrow, Goldenrods, White snakeroot, Sunflowers, Chicory, Black-eyed Susan, Bull thistle, Common dandelion.

More Arkansas flowers

Black-eyed Susan

Rudbeckia hirta

★ MD state flowerNative

🌼 Blooms in AR: May–July

Late boneset

Eupatorium serotinum

Native

🌼 Blooms in AR: August–October

Bitterweed

Helenium amarum

Native

🌼 Blooms in AR: June–October

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile ECPA.
iNaturalist, Echinacea pallida: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Echinacea pallida (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Arkansas: Arkansas State Plant Board noxious weeds and prohibited plants (2 CAR § 50-101).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Echinacea pallida (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
Photo: Evan Barker via iNaturalist · CC0 · resized.