Minnesota Wildflowers


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Rudbeckia laciniata (Cut-leaf Coneflower)

Plant Info
Also known as: Green-headed Coneflower, Tall Coneflower, Golden Glow
Genus:Rudbeckia
Family:Asteraceae (Aster)
Life cycle:perennial
Origin:native
Habitat:part shade, sun; moist fields and woods, along shores
Bloom season:July - September
Plant height:2 to 10 feet
USDA PLANTS database:Minnesota county distribution map
Spotted in Ramsey County at:

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Detailed Information

Flower: 7+petals flat

[photo of flowers] Flowers are 2 to 3 inches across with 6 to 12 droopy yellow petals (ray flowers). The center is initially a rounded green cone; when the tubular disk flowers bloom it takes on a bulbous shape. One plant usually has several flowers, each at the end of a stem that branches out at the top of the plant.

Leaves: alternate lobed

[photo of leaves] Leaves on the lower part of the plant are large, to 10 inches long and wide, deeply lobed in 3 to 7 segments, coarsely toothed, on stems up to 4 inches long. The leaves become smaller as they ascend the stem and those on the upper part of the plant are toothed but unlobed. Attachment is alternate.

Notes:

The shape of the flower center is similar to Sneezeweed, but the rest of the flower is different enough to avoid confusing them. The leaves and stem are also very different between the two plants. Gray-headed Coneflower also has large lobed leaves, but the lobes are much more narrow. The cone of Gray-headed Coneflower is also quite different.

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Map of native plant purveyors in the upper midwest

More photos

Photos taken at Fort Snelling State Park, St Paul, MN, August-September 2007

Comments

Have you seen this plant in Minnesota, or have any other comments about it?

Posted by: Mark in Oakdale Nature Preserve, Oakdale MN
on: 2010-08-12 20:52:48

Interesting how the petals take so long to develop. They just barely peek out of the green bud that forms, and VERY SLOWLY lenthen over 2-3 weeks, eventually popping out into a nice-sized droopy blossom.

Posted by: Dave in Saint Paul
on: 2011-08-10 19:03:04

We have them growing in our front yard, about 8 ft. tall - they partially block the view from our living room, but the flowers are so nice, and the winter seed heads such good food for the birds, that we don't mind. Dave

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