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Mexican Hat

Ratibida columnifera

Other common name(s):

Red-spike Mexican Hat, Upright Prairie Coneflower, Prairie Coneflower, Long-headed Coneflower, Thimbleflower

Family:

Asteraceae (Aster Family)

Plant Ecoregion Distribution Map

Central Great Plains, Chihuahuan Deserts, Cross Timbers, East Central Texas Plains, Edwards Plateau, Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes, High Plains, Southern Texas Plains, Southwestern Tablelands, Texas Blackland Prairies
Broken Red Plains
Chihuahuan Basins and Playas, Chihuahuan Desert Grasslands, Chihuahuan Montane Woodlands, Low Mountains and Bajadas, Stockton Plateau
Eastern Cross Timbers, Limestone Cut Plain, Western Cross Timbers
Bastrop Lost Pines, Southern Post Oak Savanna
Balcones Canyonlands, Edwards Plateau Woodland, Llano Uplift, Semiarid Edwards Plateau
Coastal Sand Plain, Floodplains and Low Terraces4, Laguna Madre Barrier Island and Coastal Marshes, Lower Rio Grande Alluvial Floodplain, Lower Rio Grande Valley, Mid-Coast Barrier Islands and Coastal Marshes, Northern Humid Gulf Coastal Prairies, Southern Subhumid Gulf Coastal Prairies
Arid Llano Estacado, Canadian/Cimarron High Plains, Llano Estacado, Rolling Sand Plains, Shinnery Sands
Northern Nueces Alluvial Plains, Rio Grande Floodplain and Terraces, Semiarid Edwards Bajada, Texas-Tamaulipan Thornscrub
Canadian/Cimarron Breaks, Caprock Canyons Badlands Breaks
Floodplains and Low Terraces1, Northern Blackland Prairie, Southern Blackland Prairie

Plant Characteristics

Growth Form

Herbaceous

Height

1
to
3
ft.

Spread

1
to
1.5
ft.

Leaf Retention

Deciduous

Lifespan

Perennial

Habitat and Care Requirements

Soil Type(s)

Sand, Loam, Caliche, Calcareous, Well Drained

Light Requirement

Sun

Water Requirement

Medium

Native Habitat

Grassland

Bloom and Attraction

Bloom Color

Yellow

Bloom Season

Summer, Fall

Seasonal Interest

Seeds, Nectar, Flowers

Wildlife Benefit

Butterflies, Birds, Nectar Insects, Bees

Maintenance

This drought tolerant native is easy and fast growing and not fussy about soils; however, give lots of space to spread. In smaller areas it could tend to push out weaker species. Propagation: Seed.

Comments

Blooms May-October. Showy yellow flowers with red to brown rays surround a brownish-purplish central disk.The foliage has a strong odor that repels deer.
Previous Scientific Name(s): Synonym(s): Lepachys columnaris, Lepachys columnifera, Ratibida columnaris, Ratibida columnaris var. pulcherrima, Rudbeckia columnaris, Rudbeckia columnifera

References

1) Griffith, Bryce, Omernick & Rodgers (2007). Ecoregions of Texas. 2) Wasowski and Wasowski, Native Texas Plants Landscaping Region by Region, 1991, pg. 205. 3) https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=RACO3. 4) https://portal.torcherbaria.org/portal/taxa/index.php?taxon=Ratibida+columnifera&formsubmit=Search+Terms. 5) http://bonap.net/TDC/Image/Map?taxonType=Species&taxonId=4172&locationType=County&mapType=Normal. 6) https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=38341#null

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State Office Address:
Native Plant Society of Texas
PO Box 3017
Fredericksburg, TX 78624

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