Ratibida pinnata (Yellow Coneflower)

If you are looking for golden blooms all summer long, Ratibida pinnata (Yellow Coneflower) will not disappoint you. Tall, this slender Coneflower features showy daisy blossoms with drooping, golden-yellow rays, 3 in. long (7 cm), surrounding a prominent, roundish to ellipsoid, gray central disk that turns brown as it matures. When bruised, the disk exudes a scent reminiscent of anise. This beautiful ensemble rises atop stiff, upright, hairy stems and a healthy foliage of pinnately divided, coarse leaves.

• Blooming profusely from early summer to early fall, this Coneflower provides weeks of eye-catching color. Its attractive seedheads further extend its season of interest and will be visited in the fall and winter by birds that feed on the seeds.
• Growing in upright clumps, up to 3-5 ft. tall (90-150 cm) and spreading up to 18-24 in. (45-60 cm), this Coneflower makes excellent cut flowers. Its tall stems may require support.
• Easy to grow, trouble-free and low care, it performs best in full sun or part shade in average, medium moisture, well-drained soils. It is tolerant of a wide range of soils, including sandy soils, clay soils, calcareous soils, poor soils or dry soils. Some salt tolerance too!
• Drought tolerant, once established, it attracts butterflies and deer ignore it!
• Great at the back of sunny borders, in prairies or meadows, in cottage gardens. Good for erosion control. Best massed!
• Native to the central and eastern United States and Ontario in Canada