Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) has an upright habit and grows 2 to 3 feet in height. Native to our Illinois prairie, it is an outstanding addition to a sunny perennial or naturalistic garden. This late-summer bloomer has it all: beauty, rosy-purple, daisy-like flowers, drought tolerance, and vigorous growth. It reseeds to produce new plants but is not weedy. The blooms are among the most vivid and beautiful of all of our native wildflowers. The central cone has distinctive, neatly arranged prickly spines that enhance the flower's appearance. It is a perfect prairie garden plant.