The purple coneflower, commonly named Echinacea, is a wildflower native to North America’s moist prairies. It is highly valued as a medicinal herb by many different American Indian tribes for its healing properties. In addition to being extremely beneficial, Echinacea’s daisy-like purple flowers are both beautiful in the open field and as fresh cut or dried flowers. The dead flower stems will remain upright well into the winter, and if the flower heads are not removed, the blackened cones may be visited by goldfinches or other birds that feed on the seeds. Starlight cultivar has large daisy-like blooms of bright rosy to lavender pink flowers that are borne from mid-summer to early fall.