John Clayton Chapter of the Virginia Native Plant Society’s
Wildflower Spot – September 2008
GREEN-HEADED CONEFLOWER
Rudbeckia laciniata
A valuable addition to the wild garden,
Green-headed Coneflower typically grows 5-8 feet tall with
bright yellow flowers which can be five inches across. The
green centers are unusual in this genus of the Black-eyed
and Brown-eyed Susans; the plant is also known as Tall
Coneflower or Cutleaf Coneflower. The species name
“laciniata” means “torn”, referring to the deeply divided
and toothed leaves.
This native plant was first described
centuries ago and can be found in abandoned gardens; its
typical native habitats are in moist places such as creek
banks. Coneflowers are field flowers and nonstop
summer-to-fall bloomers. They are tough, drought-resistant
plants that love full sun and seem to bloom forever, never
needing deadheading. In fact, no one deadheads coneflowers
until very late in the fall when the stems and seedheads are
black and the birds have eaten all the seeds long ago.
Green-headed Coneflower is found
throughout Virginia, and ranges from Quebec to Florida, and
west to Montana and Arizona. Cultivars are available in the
nursery trade. Traditionally the plant has been used to
treat indigestion, burns and other ailments.
By Helen Hamilton, President of the John Clayton Chapter (VNPS)
