Asteraceae
Prairie Coneflower
Ratibida columnifera
Standing tall.
- Family
- Asteraceae
- Genus
- Ratibida
- Native to
- United States, Canada, Mexico
- Bloom season
- Summer, Fall
- Type
- perennial
- Height
- 1-3 ft
- Sunlight
- full sun
- Soil
- well-drained, dry, poor to average
- Water
- low
- Hardiness
- 3-10
- Lifespan
- perennial
Did you know
- The elongated central cone can reach 2 inches tall, resembling a Mexican sombrero, which gives it the nickname 'Mexican hat.'
- When crushed, the cone releases a sweet anise-like fragrance, and some people brew the dried flower heads into a tea.
- It thrives in disturbed soils and is one of the first native plants to colonize roadside ditches and abandoned fields.
- The drooping ray petals act as landing platforms for butterflies, who cling to them while feeding from the disc florets.
- Cheyenne people used boiled leaves and stems to draw poison from rattlesnake bites.
Color meanings
0
resilience
1
strength
2
prairie spirit