Crazy for some Purple Coneflower!
by Tony G
(Bloomington Mn)
Monarch Butterfly on Purple Coneflower
Our purple coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea) are one of the first butterfly garden plants we added to the back garden. This flower has become our second best monarch butterfly magnet.
And what's nice is that when they're done blooming for the season our number one monarch magnet is just starting to bloom in late July-Early August.
Other than monarchs, I seem to recall less frequent visits from both Black and Eastern Tiger Swallowtails.
Purple coneflower is difficult to grow from seed and we definitely have had better success planting bulbs.
Last summer, they didn't seem to come back quite as well, but that could have been due to the cool weather. Hopefully they'll make a comeback in 2010 along with the monarchs!
