Gray-headed Coneflower, Ratibida pinnata (Vent.) Barnhart, Native Minnesota Wildflower plant, Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden

	Plants of the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden
	Common Name	Scientific Name	Plant Family	Garden Location	Prime Season
	Gray-headed Coneflower	Ratibida pinnata (Vent.) Barnhart	Aster (formerly in Composite)	Upland	Late Summer to early Autumn
Other names and notes	(Pinnate Prairie Coneflower). This coneflower has rays that are long and narrow and drooping. The central disk is longer than it is wide, gray or dark brown in color. The larger lower leaves are pinnately divided into 3 to 7 leaflets. Stems 3 to 4 feet high. A plant of sunny open dryer places.


Above: Early appearing flowers in late-July.


Above: Early lower leaves	Above: Late season lower leaves.

Below left: Flowers of late July. Below right: Flowers of mid-August on a clump among leaves of False Indigo

Notes: This plant was first introduced to the Garden by Eloise Butler on July 12, 1910 with plants she obtained from the grounds of the Agricultural College in St. Paul. She listed it under its older botanical name Lepachys pinnata. This plant was listed on Martha Crone's 1951 inventory of plants in the Garden at that time. It is native to Minnesota across the Southern third of the state and to a few counties in North Central. The species name is Latin for "featherlike" referring to the leaf shape.

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References: Plant characteristics are generally from sources 15, 16, 30, 31, 33, W2 & W3. Distribution principally from W2 and also 31, 34 and W1. Planting history generally from 1, 4 & 4a. Other sources by specific reference. See Reference List for details.

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