Kathy Keck, age 9 of Lancaster, Penns., for her question:

 What is a coneflower?

Every coneflower has a hump in the center of its smiling face, The hump may look like a small pincushion, a velvety thimble or a stubby finger. This hump is the cone from which the coneflower gets its name,

The coneflower belongs to the daisy family. There is not a state in which they do not grow. There are about 90 varieties of yellow coneflower. The dark brown cones are set in a doily of yellow petals. Most famous of this group is the Black‑eyed Susan: state flower of Maryland.

The purple coneflower grows throughout the eastern and central states. Its cone is greenish brown, Its petals may be purple or pinkish magenta in color. This large handsome wild flower may grow four feet tall.

Coneflowers are wild flowers that bedeck the highways and byways. They begin to arrive in early spring. By midsummer their cheerful faces are smiling everywhere and some of them bloom far into the fall.