Sometimes called The Grey-headed Mexican Hat plant for it’s flower’s resemblance in shape to a sombrero (though the flower petals tend to have a unique “droopy” feature) and the color of the cone as the ripening seeds are picked out by birds, the Prairie Coneflower’s nature is a calling card to the larger bees and butterflies, both of whom find easy access to pollen via it’s flower structure.

A long blooming perennial, the flowers of Prairie Coneflower also cut and dry well. Be sure, though, to leave plenty on for our pollinating friends! Additionally, as the seeds form, birds will flock to the drying flower heads.

When re-emerging each spring, Ratibida pinnata quickly develops leaves that grow to roughly 6 inches in length, are deeply lobbed, but generally very smooth and blue-green in color. The foliage is attractive on this upright grassland native, and by summer the flowers begin to bloom, each individually on a series of stalks which emerge from the foliage.

Care: Prairie Coneflower is not the most picky of plants when it comes to growing condition, but as it’s name suggests, it does best in the conditions of the prairie. Periodic dryness and being grown relatively closely together with it’s herbaceous siblings and other types of plants create the ideal environment. In these conditions, staking is rarely needed and little other care is required.

Prairie Coneflower also happily self sows, and so it’s easy to develop a larger mass of plants, if desired – even with the birds having their share of the seed.

Photo Credit:
David Whelan
Ryan Hodnett