Echinacea

An expanding range of clump-forming, summer flowers perennials. Traditionally colours of pink-purple and white were prominent, but the use of the yellow-flowered Echinacea paradoxa has encouraged a greater range of colours in new hybrids. As with others in the Asteraceae family, it's the ray-florets (the petal-like part of the flowers) which are most interesting,  but the disc-florets, in the centre, are also prominent and remain, strong and prickly, after the colour has faded. Hence the latin name, as in Greek, echinos means hedgehog. From the plains of N. America, so enjoying a sunny position and ideally a good soil. Better planted out in the spring. A magnet for insects, especially butterflies