Purple coneflower ( Echinacea purpurea ) is perennial plant belonging to the Asteracea family. The whole plant, specifically the root, have caffic acid derivatives such as chicoric acid, which is important in the modern pharmaceutical industry. E. purpurea was propagated by seed. However, because of seed dormancy, the germination percentage of seed is generally low. This phenomenon has impaired field establishment of plant, resulted in reduced yield and dimiaished grower profitability. In other hand, salinity may affect seed germination, seedling growth and the content of secondary metabolites in plants. Therefore, a series of experiments were carried out to investigate the techniques to overcome seed dormancy and effects of salinity on seed germination and seedling performance of Echinacea purpurea cv. Magnus. In the first experiment the effect of physical and chemical factors to improve the seed germination were studied. The experiment was a 5×4 factorial in a completely randomized design with four replications and 50 seeds per replication. Treatments were gibberllic acid (0, 250, 500, 1000 and 1500 mgl -1 ) and chilling period (0, 5, 10 and 15 days at 5C 0 ). Results indicated that the highest germination percentage, germination rate, and number of normally seedling obtained when seeds were soaked in GA 3 at 250 mgl -1 in combinat with 10 days chilling period. In the second study, to determine influence of salinity regimes (0, 20, 40, 60 and 80 mMl -1 NaCl) on the seed germination, an experiment was in completely randomized desing with five replications and 50 seeds per replication. Results showed that the germination of E. purpurea was strongly affected by all salt treatments. Increased salt concentration caused a decrease in germination percentage, germination rate and number of normally seedling. In the lant experiment, a greenhouse study was arranged to assess salt stress on the growth and content of chicoric acid of E. purpurea . A completely randomized desing whit five replications and five levels of salt (0, 20, 40, 60 and 80 mMl -1 NaCl) were used. By in creasing the levels of salt the weight of fresh and dry shoot and root, number of leaves, leaf area, number, length and diameter of root, chlorophyll content and chlorophyll fluorescence yield (Fv/Fm) reduced. Increase in the amount of salinity led to increase of sodium and decrease of potassium and mangnezium in leaf and root. The alinity also increased calcium in root and decreased calcium i leaf. By increasing the salinity, chicoric acid increased in root. These results demoustrated that E. purpurea cv. Magnus was sensitive to Keywords: Echinacea, germination, salinity, chicoric acid