Purple coneflower

I've got purple coneflowers growing like crazy in my yard. I planted them in the fall of 2000. Since then I've dig some up and given them to friends once. I may have to do it again next year. I had other things planted near them but they have pretty much taken over the bed they're in. Dead heading keeps new blooms coming well into September. I've even had a few blooms hanging on until October.



Purple cone flower 


Echinacea purpurea 

Letting a few of the flowers go to seed gives plenty of new plants in following growing seasons (as if they needed any help with that). That's how I got these mutants that have no ray flowers. I think the spiky clumps of disk flowers are cute.


Coneflower with out ray flowers. 



Disk flowers with a few vestigial rays 


Purple coneflower is also a favorite with insects. There are two species of bees that I regularly find in my garden.


Species 1 



Species 2