Echinacea pallida is one of two species of coneflower native to Illinois. It is recognized by the narrow, drooping rosy pink, lavender or orchid flower petals surrounding a dark red spiny disk. The leaves are very narrow and stiff, mostly at the base of the plant. The flowers grow singly at the top of a fuzzy flower stalk two to three feet tall. It is native through much of eastern and central North America, but is uncommon due to the loss of habitat. We have a nice display of these in the Dixon Prairie. This species blooms starting in June and into July, earlier than purple conflower. Because genetically it is a tetraploid species, having four sets of chromosomes,it has not been hybrized like purple coneflower has.