Practical
Plants

Ratibida columnifera

Prairie Coneflower

a perennial member of the Ratibida genus in the family Compositae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
perennial
Height
0.75 m
Fertility
Insects
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Insects

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

A pleasant tasting tea is made from the leaves and flower heads[2][3][4][6].

Product or use
Tea

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The leaves and stems are analgesic[6]. An infusion is used to relieve the pain of headaches and to treat stomach aches and fevers[6]. A decoction is used as a wash to relieve pain and to treat poison ivy rash[6]. The decoction is also used as a wash to draw the poison out of a rattlesnakes bite[6].

Product or use
Analgesic
Product or use
Febrifuge

Environment

Range
Western N. America - British Columbia to Montana, Nebraska, Texas, New Mexico and Mexico.
Habitat
Dry plains, prairies and ravines[8]. Sandy, silty, or rocky open ground in Texas[7].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 3+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerances
drought
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
tolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - we have no information for this species but suggest sowing the seed in a cold frame in early spring. Only just cover the seed and put the pot in a sunny position. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in early summer. Division in spring is possible but very difficult because the plant has a long taproot[5].

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Prefers a sunny well-drained border of fairly rich soil[1]. Established plants are extremely drought tolerant[5]. A very ornamental plant[1]. Although perennial, plants are sometimes grown as annuals, they flower in their first year from seed[5].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  2. Yanovsky. E. Food Plants of the N. American Indians. Publication no. 237. U.S. Depf of Agriculture.

    ↩

  3. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

    ↩

  4. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩

  5. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3

  6. Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

  7. Diggs, Jnr. G.M.; Lipscomb. B. L. & O'Kennon. R. J Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas Botanical Research Institute, Texas. 1999-00-00 http://artemis.austincollege.edu/acad/bio/gdiggs/NCTXpdf.htm

    ↩

  8. Fernald. M. L. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co. 1950-00-00

    ↩

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