Pica Bella Coneflower

Pica Bella is a named purple coneflower selection with narrow, deep-pink ray petals around an orange-bronze central cone. It forms an upright clump and flowers from summer into autumn, making its strong color useful in both perennial borders and cutting gardens. The Royal Horticultural Society and Chicago Botanic Garden identify the plant as *Echinacea purpurea* ‘Pica Bella’ ([RHS](https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/184084/echinacea-purpurea-pica-bella/details); [Chicago Botanic Garden](https://www.chicagobotanic.org/plant-information/plant-finder/echinacea-purpurea-pica-bella-pica-bella-purple-coneflower)). ## Garden Use Place it in full sun for the strongest flowering, with partial shade also suitable. Use it in a flower border, prairie-style planting, patio container, or cut-flower garden. Its horizontal pink rays and orange-brown center give it a more open, classic coneflower look than densely petaled selections. ## Growing Conditions Grow Pica Bella in deep, well-drained soil; the RHS lists chalk, loam, and sand among suitable soil types. The RHS gives broad maximum dimensions of 0.5–1 metre high and 0.1–0.5 metre wide, so the catalog uses converted ranges rather than choosing a single point from those ranges. The Chicago Botanic Garden profile lists USDA Zones 3–8 and a sunny, well-drained site ([RHS](https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/184084/echinacea-purpurea-pica-bella/details); [Chicago Botanic Garden](https://www.chicagobotanic.org/plant-information/plant-finder/echinacea-purpurea-pica-bella-pica-bella-purple-coneflower)). ## Maintenance Cut back fading stems to encourage additional flower production, or leave some seed heads standing for late-season structure. Protect young plants from rabbits while they establish. Divide only when needed; the RHS notes that this selection resents frequent disturbance.