Prairie Coneflower (Ratibida columnifera): yellow Minnesota wildflowers

Prairie Coneflower

Plant Info
Also known as:	Upright Prairie Coneflower, Long-headed Coneflower
Scientific name:	Ratibida columnifera
Family:	Aster (Asteraceae)
Life cycle:	perennial
Origin:	native
Habitat:	sun; dry fields, prairies, along roads, waste areas
Bloom season:	summer to early fall
Plant height:	1 to 3 feet
USDA PLANTS database:	Minnesota county distribution map
Spotted in Ramsey County at:	Long Lake Regional Park Vadnais/Snail Lake Regional Park

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Flower:: 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:: 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.

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

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