Minnesota Wildflowers


or try: advanced plant search
Share |

Ratibida columnifera (Prairie Coneflower)

Plant Info
Also known as: Upright Prairie Coneflower, Long-headed Coneflower
Genus:Ratibida
Family:Asteraceae (Aster)
Life cycle:perennial
Origin:native
Habitat:sun; dry fields, prairies, along roads, waste areas
Bloom season:June - August
Plant height:1 to 3 feet
USDA PLANTS database:Minnesota county distribution map
Spotted in Ramsey County at:

Pick an image for a larger view. Most image enlargements are 50-100KB, though some may be larger. See the glossary for icon descriptions.

Detailed Information

Flower: 7+petals

[photo of flowers] 4 to 12 droopy, wide, bright yellow petals, notched at the tip, around a thimble-shaped cone. The cone is up to 1½ inches long and is covered with hundreds of tiny brown or purplish flowers; these flowers open from the bottom up, so the upper part of the cone is usually gray. Each flower is at the end of a long stalk. One plant may have several stems.

Leaves: alternate lobed

[photo of leaves] Leaves near the base of the plant are thick and deeply divided, giving the appearance of multiple leaves on a stem. Each may be up to 6 inches long and have from 5 to 13 narrow segments, which may be subdivided. Leaves higher up the stem are few in number.

Notes:

Upright Prairie Coneflower is a smaller plant than most other coneflowers, and its ray flowers are shorter and wider compared to others. It is often found growing in clumps. There is also a variety (R. columnifera var. pulcherrima) that has dark red petals with yellow edges, but I have not seen it myself.

Where to buy native seed and plants

Help support this site by buying seeds & plants from these vendors. Tell them we sent you!

  • Shooting Star Native Seeds - Native Prairie Grass and Wildflower Seeds
  • Prairie Restorations - Bringing people together with the land
  • Shop for native seeds and plants at PrairieMoon.com!
  • Out Back Nursery and Landscaping - Where Ecology and Horticulture Unite

Map of native plant purveyors in the upper midwest

More photos

Photos taken at Long Lake Regional Park, New Brighton, MN, July 2008

Comments

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

Posted by: sarah
on: 2010-07-10 15:32:14

There is a single R. columnifera var. pulcherrima growing in Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary (St Paul). It blooms presently.

Posted by: Al in Maplewood
on: 2011-07-08 18:02:55

I found the red variety today near Battle Creek Park on the County Correctional Facility property.

Posted by: Sue in Zimmerman
on: 2011-07-13 18:14:37

I found the dark red with yellow edges in my field today, only found 2 plants so far.

Posted by: Linda in Dakota County
on: 2011-08-09 23:03:37

This is currently blooming in my boulevard garden. Between this, the asclepias tuberosa, joe-pye, and echinacea purpurea, I am overrun with monarchs, tiger swallowtails, Baltimore checkerspots, red admirals, honeybees and bumblebees!

Post a comment

Note: All comments are moderated before posting to keep the riff-raff out. An email address is required, but will not be posted—it will only be used for information exchange between the 2 of us (if needed) and will never be given to a 3rd party without your express permission.

For info on subjects other than plant identification (gardening, invasive species control, edible plants, etc.), please check the links and invasive species pages for additional resources.



(required)




Note: Comments or information about plants outside of Minnesota may not be posted because I’d like to keep the focus of this web site on Minnesota. Thanks for your understanding.