Yellow Cone Flower Ratibida pinnata
Alternative
Names
gray-head prairie coneflower, drooping
coneflower, pinnate prairie coneflower
Uses
Ethnobotanic: Ratibida pinnata root
was used to cure toothache
Landscaping &Wildlife
Yellow coneflower is a strong survivor
of former prairies where the
majority of the original plants
have perished. This is a long
live species and is best to
plant where there is competition
from other plants. The seed
heads are eaten by birds in
the late fall. The flowers
attract several different butterfly
species.
Description
Sunflower family (Asteraceae).
Yellow coneflower is a native
perennial herb growing from
a woody caudex up to one meter
or taller. The leaves are pinnantely
compound, mostly with five
to seven lanceolate segments,
with harsh and scurfy surfaces.
The disk flowers are usually
gray at first becoming brown
with age. When the disk heads
are crushed, an odor of anise
is emitted. Each flower has
its own stalk and five to eight
yellow, drooping petals arranged
in a cone shape.
Distribution
Yellow coneflower ranges from Ontario
and New York to Minnesota,
South Dakota, and Nebraska,
south to Georgia, Arkansas
and Oklahoma.
Adaptation
This species occurs in prairies,
thickets, and borders of woods.
It is often found along roadsides
and railroad right-of-ways.
Yellow coneflower grows best
on loam, clay, and sandy soil
types that are from medium
moisture to dry. It prefers
calcareous soils that are neutral
pH 6-7, but will grow in sunny
locations with well-drained
soils, and is often found in
wet mesic, mesic and dry mesic
sites.
Establishment
Propagation by Seed: Ratibida
pinnata seeds are best planted
in the spring or fall. Generally
the seeds does not need any pre-treatment.
They can be stratified at 33 to
38ºF for thirty days. Management
Harvesting of seeds should be done
from October through November.
The cones should be clipped form
the stem and placed into a bucket
to rub the seeds off the cone to
be used for propagation.
Cultivars,
Improved and Selected Materials
(and area of origin)
Somewhat available through native
plant seed sources within its range.
Prepared By:
Jammie Favorite formerly USDA,
NRCS, National Plant Data Center
Baton Rouge , Louisiana
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