Echinacea laevigata, the smooth purple coneflower, is a federally listed threatened species[3] of plant found in the Piedmont of the eastern United States.

On top of the stem is a flower head containing narrow pink or purplish ray florets up to 8 centimeters (3.2 inches) long.

Open areas of this kind were made by wildfire, fires set by Native Americans,[1] and the grazing activity of animals.

[3] Plants that share the habitat included eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana) and rattlesnake master (Eryngium yuccifolium).

When fire suppression is practiced, the habitat becomes overgrown, and the open areas close; this has led to the extirpation of several historical populations.

[3] Habitat has also been destroyed outright during development, agricultural operations, road construction, and installation of utilities such as gas lines.

[3] Conservation efforts underway include research on the most effective method of restoring the natural cycle of disturbance to the land, for example, by initiating controlled burns.