Ratibida columnifera
characteristics
Short-lived perennial with upright slender rough, ridged stems. Leaves are divided into lobes with few leaves on the upper stem. Flowers have up to 13 drooping yellow petals which flutter with each breeze. The flowering cone, initially light green to grey becomes dark brown. Long blooming from early to late summer. Rhizomatous; often clump-forming.
600,000 - 737,104 seeds/pound; starts from seed, container.
| T | SSN | H | W | sun | soil | H2O | fire | N2 | pH | summer | fall | flower (seed) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | 0.6 | 0.3 | S | F-M-C | DM | ••• | - | 5.9-7.0 | green | - | yellow brown |
habitat
Dry prairie, open waste ground, and roadsides.
uses
Bees are especially attracted to the flower.
Silvery checkerspot butterfly (Chlosyne nycteis) and a variety of moth caterpillars feed on the foliage.
Goldfinches eat the seeds, small mammals eat the foliage and flowering stems.
Leaves and stems used to treat poison ivy, rattlesnake bites, headaches, and stomach aches by North American aboriginals.
A tea was made from the leaves and flowers.
Comments