Upright Prairie Coneflower
A prairie icon with personality
Scientific Name: Ratibida columnifera
Plant Type: Native Perennial
This Quirky native is all about the drama-tall, slender stems 1-3’high topped with droopy red-yellow to yellow petals encircling a long dark-brown cone-like center that stands up to 2’ tall, blooming from June through September and sways beautifully in the wind.
Why gardeners love it:
The quintessential pollinator magnet: attracts native bees, butterflies, and beneficial wasps; finches flock to it for the seed in autumn.
The epitome of no fuss: rabbits and deer don’t eat it. It's tolerant to drought and tough.
The ultimate survivor: thrives in zones 3-9; we have yet to see one disappointed in heat, drought, winter or poor soil.
The star of xeriscapes: thrives in neglect; prefers a lean, dry environment.
A naturalized colony: when allowed, it becomes a beautiful self-seeder that naturalizes well for a meadow effect.
What it requires:
Sun: it’s a full sun plant; you’ll get the sturdiest stems and biggest blooms with full sun.
Soil: requires extremely well-draining soil: it will be perfectly happy in sand, gravel, or clay-loam. It accepts any soil except rich and dislikes clay heavily.
Water: the established plant requires very little; let the soil dry out between watering. It loathes wet feet.
Care tips:
Lean and Mean: Aim to grow it lean and mean; any attempt to water too often or enrich its soil produces a tall, weak plant which flops over. Plant in a less-than-ideal setting, water to establish and then forget about it! Deadhead if more blooms are desired. Otherwise, leave bloom heads for bird seed.
Perfect for: Native prairie gardens, xeriscapes, pollinator gardens, meadow plantings, cut and dried flower displays and people who desire the wild beauty of the prairie with almost no work.
