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Ratibida pinnata (Yellow Coneflower)

Yellow Coneflower, Pinnate Prairie Coneflower, Gray-Head Coneflower, Prairie Coneflower, Grayhead Coneflower, Gray-Headed Coneflower, Grayhead Mexican Hat

Ratibida Pinnata, Yellow Coneflower, Pinnate Prairie Coneflower, Gray-Head Coneflower, Prairie Coneflower, Coneflower, Coneflowers, Yellow flowers, Yellow Perennials, Grayhead Coneflower, Gray-Headed Coneflower, Grayhead Mexican Hat
Ratibida Pinnata, Yellow Coneflower, Pinnate Prairie Coneflower, Gray-Head Coneflower, Prairie Coneflower, Coneflower, Coneflowers, Yellow flowers, Yellow Perennials, Grayhead Coneflower, Gray-Headed Coneflower, Grayhead Mexican Hat

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 soilscalcareous 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

Requirements

Hardiness 3 - 8
Heat Zones 1 - 8
Climate Zones 1, 1A, 1B, 2, 2A, 2B, 3, 3A, 3B, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, A1, A2, A3, H1, H2
Plant Type Perennials
Plant Family Compositae
Common names Prairie Coneflower, Yellow Coneflower, Grayhead Coneflower
Exposure Full Sun, Partial Sun
Season of Interest Summer (Early, Mid, Late), Fall
Height 3' - 5' (90cm - 150cm)
Spread 1' - 2' (30cm - 60cm)
Spacing 18" - 24" (50cm - 60cm)
Maintenance Low
Water Needs Low, Average
Soil Type Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil pH Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Drainage Moist but Well-Drained, Well-Drained
Characteristics Cut Flowers, Showy
Native Plants United States, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, Midwest, Northeast, Southwest, Southeast, Minnesota, Nebraska, Missouri, Michigan, Kansas, Iowa, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, South Dakota, Ohio, Arkansas, Kentucky, Georgia, Florida, Virginia, Alabama, West Virginia, Tennessee, South Carolina, Louisiana, Oklahoma
Tolerance Drought, Deer, Salt, Rabbit, Dry Soil, Clay Soil
Attracts Birds, Butterflies
Garden Uses Banks And Slopes, Beds And Borders
Garden Styles Informal and Cottage, Coastal Garden, Traditional Garden, Prairie and Meadow
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Recommended Companion Plants

Foeniculum vulgare ‘Rubrum’ (Bronze Fennel)
Kniphofia ‘Tawny King’ (Red Hot Poker)
Panicum virgatum ‘Cloud Nine’ (Switch Grass)
Helenium ‘Sahin’s Early Flowerer’ (Sneezeweed)
Liatris spicata (Blazing Star)
Veronicastrum virginicum ‘Album’ (Culver’s Root)
While every effort has been made to describe these plants accurately, please keep in mind that height, bloom time, and color may differ in various climates. The description of these plants has been written based on numerous outside resources.
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Requirements

Hardiness 3 - 8
Heat Zones 1 - 8
Climate Zones 1, 1A, 1B, 2, 2A, 2B, 3, 3A, 3B, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, A1, A2, A3, H1, H2
Plant Type Perennials
Plant Family Compositae
Common names Prairie Coneflower, Yellow Coneflower, Grayhead Coneflower
Exposure Full Sun, Partial Sun
Season of Interest Summer (Early, Mid, Late), Fall
Height 3' - 5' (90cm - 150cm)
Spread 1' - 2' (30cm - 60cm)
Spacing 18" - 24" (50cm - 60cm)
Maintenance Low
Water Needs Low, Average
Soil Type Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil pH Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Drainage Moist but Well-Drained, Well-Drained
Characteristics Cut Flowers, Showy
Native Plants United States, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, Midwest, Northeast, Southwest, Southeast, Minnesota, Nebraska, Missouri, Michigan, Kansas, Iowa, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, South Dakota, Ohio, Arkansas, Kentucky, Georgia, Florida, Virginia, Alabama, West Virginia, Tennessee, South Carolina, Louisiana, Oklahoma
Tolerance Drought, Deer, Salt, Rabbit, Dry Soil, Clay Soil
Attracts Birds, Butterflies
Garden Uses Banks And Slopes, Beds And Borders
Garden Styles Informal and Cottage, Coastal Garden, Traditional Garden, Prairie and Meadow
How Many Plants
Do I Need?

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