February 2006

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=101 BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000" background="061785a3.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>Ohio Prairie Association</B></FONT><B>    </B><B> |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Ohio Prairie Association"><B>home</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="may_2008.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="May 2008">May 2008</A>   |   <A HREF="id77.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="April 2008">April 2008</A>   |   <A HREF="march_2008.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="March 2008">March 2008</A>   |   <A HREF="february_2008.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="February 2008">February 2008</A>   |   <A HREF="january_2008.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="January 2008">January 2008</A>   |   <A HREF="little_bluestem_prairie_gras.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="December 2007">December 2007</A>   |   <A HREF="november_207.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="November 2007">November 2007</A>   |   <A HREF="october_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="October 2007">October 2007</A>   |   <A HREF="prai.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="September 2007">September 2007</A>   |   <A HREF="august_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="August 2007">August 2007</A>   |   <A HREF="june_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="July 2007">July 2007</A>   |   <A HREF="june_200771.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="June 2007">June 2007</A>   |   <A HREF="may_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="May 2007">May 2007</A>   |   <A HREF="april_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="April 2007">April 2007</A>   |   <A HREF="march_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="March 2007">March 2007</A>   |   <A HREF="polygala_sanquinea.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="February 2007">February 2007</A>   |   <A HREF="january_2007.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="January 2007">January 2007</A>   |   <A HREF="december_2006.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="December 2006">December 2006</A>   |   <A HREF="novermber_2006.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="November 2006">November 2006</A>   |   <A HREF="october_2006.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="October 2006">October 2006</A>   |   <A HREF="september_2006.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="September 2006">September 2006</A>   |   <A HREF="august_2006.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="August 2006">August 2006</A>   |   <A HREF="july_2006.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="July 2006">July 2006</A>   |   <A HREF="june_2006.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="June 2006">June 2006</A>   |   <A HREF="may_2006.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="May 2006">May 2006</A>   |   <A HREF="april_2006.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="April 2006">April 2006</A>   |   <A HREF="id83.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="March 2006">March 2006</A>   |   <B>February 2006</B>   |   <A HREF="id81.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="January 2006">January 2006</A>   |   <A HREF="id80.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="December 2005">December 2005</A>   |   <A HREF="id79.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="November 2005">November 2005</A>   |   <A HREF="id78.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="October 2005">October 2005</A>   |   <A HREF="id75.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="August 2005">August 2005</A>   |   <A HREF="id74.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="July 2005">July 2005</A>   |   <A HREF="id72.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="June 2005">June 2005</A>   |   <A HREF="id71.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="May 2005">May 2005</A>   |   <A HREF="id61.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="April 2005">April 2005</A>   |   <A HREF="id55.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="March 2005">March 2005</A>   |   <A HREF="id54.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="February 2005">February 2005</A>   |   <A HREF="id49.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="January 2005">January 2005</A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFCC66" TEXT="#080000" background="062d2b03.jpg"> <div> <IMG SRC="129b9e40.jpg" border=0 width="185" height="228" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=379 width="100%" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I>February 2006</I></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="0b844400.jpg" border=0 width="68" height="64" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B><I><B>Ohio Prairie Plant of the Month</B></I></div> <div> <B>Species </B><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#339933" FACE="Arial" ><B> </B></FONT></div> <div> Common Name <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" >Purple Coneflower</FONT></div> <div> Latin Name: <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><I> Echinacea purpurea </I></FONT> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >[Pronounced: "eck-in-ACE-ee-ah purr-purr-EE-ah"]</FONT></div> <div> Type of Plant: <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#777777" FACE="Arial" >Prairie Forb ("wildflower")</FONT></div> <bR> <div> Identification Helps: <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >No other Ohio prairie flower is similar. The pink color of the drooping ray flowers (the "petals") are diagnostic. </FONT></div> <bR> <div> Similar Species: <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > There are no other similar Ohio coneflowers. The horticultural selections of the species are now commonly available and grown in gardens. </FONT></div> <bR> <div> Preferred Growing Conditions in the Wild:<FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#339933" FACE="Arial" > </FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >Purple coneflower grows in moderately to well drained soils. </FONT></div> <bR> <div> Seasons of Growth and Bloom: <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >This stunning forb blooms in Ohio from late June all the way to late September. </FONT></div> <bR> <div> Natural Distribution in Ohio:<FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#339933" FACE="Arial" > </FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >Although purple coneflower will grow just about anywhere when planted in Ohio (except in shaded areas), it occurs naturally only in the central and southern prairie areas. Except for a single, isolated site near the Maumee River southwest of Toledo, purple coneflower is not native anywhere in the northern third of Ohio. Those wishing to create or restore authentic local prairies in the northern parts of Ohio should refrain from using this more southern forb, its beauty notwithstanding. In the north, it's an alien species.</FONT></div> <bR> <div> Description and General Information: <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >Easily grown and prominently colorful, this species has large, embedded seeds that are eagerly consumed by seed-eating birds in the autumn. </FONT></div> </td> </tr></table></body>