June 13 Purple Coneflowers Ascending

I was taking a slow morning walk through the Lakeshore Preserve and made my way to the soggy Biocore Prairie where countless flowers awaited. Spiderworts won for most abundant, but Echinacea pallida has also begun flowering. Pale purple coneflowers bloom earlier than regular purple coneflower and have longer, more oblong leaves that droop downward, forming the umbrella shape you see above. These beauties were used by native Wisconsinites for a variety of illnesses, including burns and infections. Hence the popularity of echinacea as an immune system booster and wound-healing supplement. Coneflowers make for excellent colors in any home garden and they are good for cutting and bringing some living art into the apartment. They seem to also be common as a small rain garden plant as well. Look closely at the picture to find the hidden insect, and watch for more coneflowers as summer continues.