Wikimedia Commons
Asteraceae
Mexican Hat
Ratibida columnifera
Cheer, freedom, prairie spirit.
- Family
- Asteraceae
- Genus
- Ratibida
- Native to
- Central and western North America
- Bloom season
- Summer
- Type
- Short-lived perennial
- Height
- 30–90 cm
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Soil
- Sharply drained, sandy
- Water
- Low; drought-tolerant
- Hardiness
- 3–9
- Lifespan
- Short-lived perennial; reseeds
Did you know
- The flower really does look like a tiny sombrero — drooping petals form the hat's brim, and the tall central column is the crown.
- It's also called 'thimbleflower' or 'long-headed coneflower' because the central disk is much longer and more cylindrical than other coneflowers.
- Mexican hat is famously easy to grow from seed and reseeds itself, often forming large drifts in dry meadows and along roadsides.
- Native peoples brewed the central cones into a tea for headaches and fevers, and used the leaves as a substitute for sage in cooking.
- It's a favorite of native bees, butterflies, and small beneficial wasps, blooming for many weeks during the hottest part of summer.
Color meanings
Red
Bold optimism