Species PlantsPrairie Coneflower

Prairie Coneflower

Ratibida columnifera

CommonPlant
Illustration of Prairie Coneflower (Ratibida columnifera)

Prairie Coneflower is a distinctive native wildflower of the Great Plains with a tall, thimble-shaped central cone and drooping yellow or red-and-yellow ray petals that hang like a Mexican sombrero. It blooms over a long season from June through September and provides excellent nectar for native bees and butterflies.

Habitat
Dry prairies, roadsides, and open plains of the Great Plains
Diet
Nectar and pollen for native bees; seeds eaten by prairie birds
How common
Common

Best time to see a Prairie Coneflower

The best time to see a Prairie Coneflower is April–June, when about 63% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 37,981 research-grade iNaturalist observations.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Not certain it is a Prairie Coneflower? What plant is this? walks through what to check first and the lookalikes that catch people out.

Recent Prairie Coneflower sightings near you

Live, research-grade observations from iNaturalist. Allow location to center the map on you.

Spot a Prairie Coneflower? Identify it instantly.

Point Huck at any plant, bird, or animal for an instant ID, its rarity, and a live map of where it is being seen near you.

Get Huck

Get an alert when a Prairie Coneflower is spotted

Pick a park, state, or city and we’ll email you when one turns up there. One check a day, only when there’s something new.

Free. Unsubscribe from any email. See our Privacy Policy.

Love plants? Get Huck field notes

Spotting tips, new species, and the best of what people are finding in the wild - straight to your inbox.

By subscribing you agree to receive Huck emails. No spam, unsubscribe anytime. See our Privacy Policy.

More plants

Prairie Cordgrass
Prairie Cordgrass
Spartina pectinata
Prairie Crabapple
Prairie Crabapple
Malus ioensis
Prairie Dropseed
Prairie Dropseed
Sporobolus heterolepis
Prairie Goldenpea
Prairie Goldenpea
Thermopsis rhombifolia
Prairie Larkspur
Prairie Larkspur
Delphinium carolinianum
Prairie Onion
Prairie Onion
Allium stellatum
Prairie Phlox
Prairie Phlox
Phlox pilosa
Prairie Rosinweed
Prairie Rosinweed
Silphium terebinthinaceum