Common Name: Yellow Coneflower
Family: Asteraceae
Plant Type: Herbaceous Perennial
Hardiness Zones: 3–9
Height: 2.0 to 3.0 feet
Spread: 1.0 to 1.5 feet
Bloom Time: May to July
Bloom Description: Bright yellow drooping petals with a dark orange-brown cone
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Water Needs: Dry to medium
Soil Preference: Well-drained, sandy or rocky soils; tolerates drought
Maintenance Level: Low
Suggested Use: Pollinator gardens, prairie plantings, xeriscapes
Attracts: Bees, butterflies, hummingbirds
Tolerates: Drought, heat, dry soil, poor soil
Notable Features: Unusual yellow color for a coneflower, strong vertical form, rare native
Native Range: Ozark region of Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma; rare in the wild but well-adapted to Great Plains gardens.
Nebraska Growing Notes:
Though not native to Nebraska, Echinacea paradoxa is well-suited to dry, sunny conditions typical of the central Great Plains. It is valued for its unique yellow flowers, which offer visual contrast to more common purple coneflowers. Its deep taproot provides excellent drought tolerance, and the flowers support pollinators and seed-eating birds.
This species is a great addition to low-maintenance or native-inspired plantings and extends bloom variety in prairie gardens.
Landscape Use:
Ideal for dry borders, prairie-style gardens, native meadows, or mixed pollinator plantings. Combines well with other Echinacea species, Liatris, Coreopsis, and Bouteloua grasses.
Caution:
Rare in the wild—use nursery-propagated plants to avoid wild collection. Will hybridize readily with other Echinacea species if planted nearby.
Garden Locations: