Echinacea pallida 'Hula Dancer' is a selection of pale purple coneflower with gracefully drooping soft pink petals and a prominent dark cone. Known for its airy elegant form and drought tolerance, it attracts pollinators while thriving in dry sunny meadows and prairie inspired gardens.
Height & Spread: 24 - 36 in x 18 - 24 in
Bloom Time: Early to mid summer
Light Requirements: Full sun
Soil Preference: Well drained, dry to medium soils; tolerates rocky and sandy conditions
Watering Needs: Low; drought tolerant once established
Deer Resistance: Deer resistant
Native Status
This cultivar is derived from Echinacea pallida, a species native to central and southeastern United States, particularly dry prairies and glades.
WILDLIFE & INSECTS
Butterflies
- Attracts butterflies such as Great Spangled Fritillary, Painted Lady, and Silvery Checkerspot for nectar.
Bees
- Visited by long tongued bees including Eastern Carpenter Bee and Brown Belted Bumblebee.
Birds
- Seed heads provide late season food for American Goldfinch and other small songbirds.
Spacing & Landscape Use
Spacing Recommendations
- Space 18 - 24 in apart to allow for upright form and airflow between clumps.
Landscape Placement
- Ideal for naturalized sunny meadows, prairie borders, and dry pollinator gardens. Its subtle color and texture blend beautifully with grasses and other open faced wildflowers.
Companion Plants
- Penstemon tubaeflorus (White Beardtongue) - Provides vertical white blooms that complement soft pink coneflowers in early summer.
- Schizachyrium scoparium (Little Bluestem) - Offers upright bluish foliage and fall color, enhancing Echinacea’s structure.
- Ratibida pinnata (Yellow Coneflower) - Extends the bloom season with soft yellow, drooping petals in prairie settings.
- Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly Weed) - Pairs beautifully in dry gardens while supporting Monarch butterflies.
- Liatris spicata (Blazing Star) - Adds bold, late summer spikes and attracts the same pollinators.