Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflower)

Native to central and eastern North America, this herbaceous perennial grows in moist prairies, meadows and open woodland. Its rough, hairy stems carry broad leaves and upright flowerheads during summer. Each head has a raised orange-brown central cone surrounded by pink-purple ray florets, which often bend downward as the head matures. The cone consists of many small individual flowers rather than one solid structure. Mature heads produce seeds eaten by birds, and the plant has long been grown in perennial borders and wildflower gardens. Photographed in Colombia.