Purple Coneflowers

Here in the Northeast, on these gray winter days, I find myself thinking about purple coneflowers that bask in the summer sunshine. On long summer afternoons they brighten our garden with their warm color, along with the bees and butterflies they attract.  They are like a welcome mat that beckons these pollinators to stop and stay awhile.

Hummingbirds also drink their sweet nectar, and finches find coneflower seeds especially delightful, especially when they’ve dropped their petals and only the seeds remain.

The purple coneflower’s botanical name is Echinacea purpurea. Echinacea comes from a Greek word that means “spiny one.” Some say it’s a reference to hedgehogs; others say spiny sea urchins inspire the name.

At the end of the summer, after the birds have had their fill, these native flowers faithfully drop their remaining seeds to the ground. And this winter, like so many winters, the snow settles on the dry stalks like crowns.

It’s a fitting honor for flowers that have brought such pleasure during the summer.

Then, in a few short months, their sleepy seeds will transform into tender plants. They’ll poke through the brown earth, and a new season will burst forth, full of color and life!