Field ManualAll plants

Pale purple coneflower
Echinacea pallida
Pet & Human Safety
People: No hazard foundPets: Not on the ASPCA lists as we read them
Neither ASPCA nor NC State lists a pet-safety verdict for this plant. Not listed means no verdict was found, not that it's safe. Keep pets from eating it and call a vet or the ASPCA Poison Control line if a pet seems unwell.
PlotAndPetal cannot tell you whether a plant you found can be eaten. Only someone who can see the plant can identify it.
Poison control
If someone has collapsed, cannot be woken, is having a seizure or has trouble breathing, call 911 now. For any other possible poisoning, call Poison Help: 1-800-222-1222.
Emergency number source: U.S. federal law (47 U.S.C. § 251(e)(3)), read 2026-10-07.
Naturalist Lore
Historical Background & Breeding Lore
The history of this plant and its name, and how it was bred, where we have them.
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- Hardiness zones
USDA zones 3 to 10 (NC State Extension)
- Light
Full sun; tolerates partial shade (NC State Extension).
- Water needs
low
- Mature size
2 to 3 feet tall and 1 to 1.5 feet wide (NC State Extension)
- Where it comes from
Eastern and Central North America, Wisconsin and Michigan south to Texas and Louisiana, also Ontario (NC State Extension)
How to prepare the soil, when and what to feed, and how and when to prune where that applies.
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Botanical Anatomy & Characteristics
How the flowers and leaves are built and which pollinators visit, where we have them.
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Field Doctor
What can go wrong with this plant and what to do about it, where we have them.
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Vintage Plates
Old botanical drawings from public libraries are in the app, for plants where we have them.
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