Echinacea or coneflowers, are well know to gardeners. They're North American natives, but they've traveled widely. The name coneflower is readily explained by the way the petals sweep back and downward, forming a cone. The name Echinacea is from the Greek word for spiny, echino and is a reference to the pincushion center.
The reason these perennial flowers are so well known is because they grow so well and are so widely adaptable; drought tolerant, long blooming and very low maintenance.
