Pale Purple Coneflower Echinacea pallida

Size: 60-90 cm (2-3 feet).

Leaves and Flowers: Leaves are a hairy, rough, oval, lance-shaped, with three main veins. The lower leaves will often be about 20 cm (10 in.) long. Smaller leaves extend up the hairy stem.

The flower rays are pink-purple and hang slightly downward. The diameter of the head is about 8 cm (4 in.). After the rays fall off the seed head turns a prickly dark brown. It flowers in June-July. It is a member of the Compositae, or aster family.

Habitat: Dry-mesic prairies.

Range: Michigan to Nebraska, South to Texas and Alabama.

Use: American Indians found many uses for this plant. Many native groups in the plains used the coneflower for several purposes. In this area, the Mesquakie (Fox) used it for snakebites, although it is not clear how it was used. It was also used for insect bites and stings. To cure headaches, it was burned and the smoke inhaled. It was also used as a topical remedy for toothaches. The most common use was as a treatment for burns which were bathed with the plant juice. This plant is widely used in herbal medicine today.