Pinnate Prairie Coneflower

Scientific Name: Ratibida pinnata (Vent.) Barnhart

Pinnate Prairie Coneflower

General Information
Usda Symbol	RAPI
Group	Dicot
Life Cycle	Perennial
Growth Habits	Forb/herb
Native Locations	RAPI

Plant Guide

Alternative Names

gray-head prairie coneflower, drooping coneflower, pinnate prairie coneflower

Uses

Ethnobotanic: Ratibida pinnata root was used to cure toothache (Fielder 1975). Landscaping &Wildlife: Yellow coneflower is a strong survivor of former prairies where the majority of the original plants have perished. This is a long live species and is best to plant where there is competition from other plants. The seed heads are eaten by birds in the late fall. The flowers attract several different butterfly species.

Status

Please consult the Plants Web site and your State Department of Natural Resources for this plant’s current status, such as, state noxious status and wetland indicator values.

Description

General: Sunflower family (Asteraceae). Yellow coneflower is a native perennial herb growing from a woody caudex up to one meter or taller. The leaves are pinnantely compound, mostly with five to seven lanceolate segments, with harsh and scurfy surfaces (Bruggen 1976). The disk flowers are usually gray at first becoming brown with age. When the disk heads are crushed, an odor of anise is emitted. Each flower has its own stalk and five to eight yellow, drooping petals arranged in a cone shape. Division of Natural Areas and Preserves Ohio Department of Natural Resources Distribution: Yellow coneflower ranges from Ontario and New York to Minnesota, South Dakota, and Nebraska, south to Georgia, Arkansas and Oklahoma (Steyermark 1963). For current distribution, please consult the Plant profile page for this species on the PLANTS Web site.

Adaptation

This species occurs in prairies, thickets, and borders of woods. It is often found along roadsides and railroad right-of-ways. Yellow coneflower grows best on loam, clay, and sandy soil types that are from medium moisture to dry. It prefers calcareous soils that are neutral pH 6-7, but will grow in sunny locations with well-drained soils, and is often found in wet mesic, mesic and dry mesic sites.

Establishment

Propagation by Seed: Ratibida pinnata seeds are best planted in the spring or fall. Generally the seeds does not need any pre-treatment. They can be stratified at 33 to 38ºF for thirty days.

Management

Harvesting of seeds should be done from October through November. The cones should be clipped form the stem and placed into a bucket to rub the seeds off the cone to be used for propagation. Cultivars, Improved and Selected Materials (and area of origin) Somewhat available through native plant seed sources within its range. Contact your local Natural Resources Conservation Service (formerly Soil Conservation Service) office for more information. Look in the phone book under ”United States Government.” The Natural Resources

Conservation

Service will be listed under the subheading “Department of Agriculture, Use soil moisture sensors to measure the soil moisture of Pinnate Prairie Coneflower.,”

References

Bruggen, T. V. 1976. The vascular plants of South Dakota. The Iowa State University Press, Ames, Iowa. Fielder, M. 1975. Plant medicine and folklore. Winchester Press, New York, New York. Gleason, H. A. 1952. The new Britton and Brown illustrated flora of the northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. 3 vols. The New York Botanical Garden, New York, New York. Grimm, W.C. 1993. The Illustrated book of wildflowers and shrubs. Stackpole Books, Mechanicsburg, PA. Mohlenbrock, R.H., ed. 1975. Guide to the vascular flora of Illinois. Southern Illinois University Press, Carbondale, Illinois. Mohlenbrock, R. H. & J.W. Voight 1959. A flora of southern Illinois. Southern Illinois University Press, Carbondale, Illinois. Ohio Department of Natural Resources 2000. Ohio prairies. Division of Natural Areas and Preserves. Accessed: 11jan02. <http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/dnap/prairies/OhioPrairies.htm> Small, J. K. 1933. Manual of the southeastern flora. The University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Steyermark, J. A. 1963. Flora of Missouri. The Iowa State University Press, Ames Iowa. Swink, F. & G. S. Wilhelm 1979. Plants of the Chicago region. 3rd ed. The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, Illinois. The Great Plains Flora Association 1986. Flora of the Great Plains. University Press of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas.

Fact Sheet

Alternate Names

gray-head prairie coneflower, drooping coneflower, pinnate prairie coneflower

Uses

Ethnobotanic: American Indians used the flower cones and leaves to make a tea, and the root was used as a cure for toothache (Runkel and Roosa 1989). Landscaping and Wildlife: Yellow coneflower produces an attractive and distinct flower that is easily grown in gardens. The flowers attract butterflies throughout the summer, and its seeds are sought by birds in the late fall. Forage: When young, it provides good grazing for livestock (Runkal and Roosa 1989). However, the stems become woody with age, and less palatable.

Status

Please consult the PLANTS Web site and your State Department of Natural Resources for this plant’s current status (e.g. threatened or endangered species, state noxious status, and wetland indicator values). Division of Natural Areas and Preserves Ohio Department of Natural Resources

Description and Adaptation

Adaptation

Adaptation

Yellow coneflower is a member of the daisy family, Asteraceae, and is a summer perennial. It grows up right and may be a meter or more in height. The slender, grooved stems have fine, upward pointing hairs, and may branch with a flower on top of each stem. The flowers may have between 5 to 10 petals that droop down toward the stem with a distinct “cone” in the center. Distribution: This species is widely distributed across the United States. It can be found up and down the east coast from Vermont to Florida and westward to Kansas, Oklahoma, and Nebraska. It is most commonly associated with the prairie regions of the central United States, and is often seen along roadsides.

Establishment

Stands of this species can be readily established from seed, Plantings can be made in either the spring or fall, Spring plantings may require the seed to be stored slightly above freezing for at least 30 days to ensure good germination, The seed requires a clean, firm seed bed, and may be drilled or broadcast, Stands have been established using 12-24 inch row spacing at a seeding rate of 20-40 seeds per foot, and by broadcasting 5 pounds of seed per acre, Four ounces per acre is recommended when mixed with other species, Use soil moisture sensors to measure the soil moisture of Pinnate Prairie Coneflower.,

Management

Yellow coneflower is not inhibited by competition, and does well when used in conjunction with other species. It has an open structure and should be planted in relatively dense stands to inhibit weed growth if a monoculture is desired.

Plant Traits

Growth Requirements

Morphology/Physiology

Reproduction

Suitability/Use

Pinnate Prairie Coneflower