Ratibida pinnata

Amid the bright riot of the midsummer meadow, a slender stem puts forth its graceful yellow flowers, their petals draping down, idly sifting the breeze. In keeping with its carefree air, grey headed coneflower is content with a variety of growing conditions, but will do best under full sunlight and in soils of moderate to dry moisture. Within its native NE Ohio range, it inhabits meadows, fields, and woodland edges. Blooming in July, grey-headed coneflower is part of a classic lineup of native plants that provide midsummer color to sunny gardens. These plants include purple coneflower, wild bergamot, dense blazing star, and Virginia mountain mint, among others. Grey-headed coneflower is especially useful in gardens that tend to be a bit drier, owing to its good drought tolerance. And in spite of the plant’s narrow stem, it typically remains upright without additional support.  Grey headed coneflower spreads via short rhizomes to form a tight cluster of plants. It will also spread via s