Mexican hat

Sun

Full sun; flowering and stem strength decline in shade.

Water

Low once established. Water young plants regularly, then water established plants only during prolonged dry spells.

Soil

Well-drained sandy, gravelly, loamy or clay soil; tolerates poor soil and limestone. Avoid ground that stays wet in winter.

Height

1-3 ft (0.3-0.9 m)

Spread

1-1.5 ft (0.3-0.45 m)

Flowers

Summer into early autumn; drooping petals are yellow, reddish-brown, or reddish-brown edged with yellow, surrounding a tall brown cone.

Foliage

Green to grey-green, deeply divided leaves with narrow segments, concentrated toward the lower stems.

Growth

Fast; seed-grown plants may flower in their first year.

Care needed

Low

• Pollinators
• Deer resistant
• Drought tolerant
• Cold hardy
• Heat tolerant
• Wildlife
• Low allergen

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Easy

Toughness

Very tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   1 ft (0.3 m)

2. After 1 year

   1.5 ft (0.45 m)

3. After 2 years

   2 ft (0.6 m)

   full size

About 2 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Safe

Native to

the US and Canada

Growth rate

Fast

• Water at soil level during establishment, allowing the surface to dry between waterings.
• Avoid routine feeding; rich soil and excess fertiliser encourage floppy growth.
• Keep mulch away from the crown; use a light gravel mulch where winter moisture is a problem.
• Thin crowded seedlings to about 12-18 in (30-45 cm) apart.
• Remove unwanted seedlings while small, before their taproots develop.

Pruning. Deadhead during summer to encourage further flowers and limit self-seeding, or leave some cones for birds and seed. Cut dead stems close to the ground in late winter or early spring before new growth begins.

Late winter

Cold-stratify seed in a moist medium in the refrigerator for 4-6 weeks before spring sowing to improve germination consistency.

Early spring

Cut back standing dead stems and remove weeds around emerging growth.

Spring

Sow seed shallowly or plant young plants after hard frosts; water while roots establish.

Early summer

Thin volunteer seedlings and check that neighbouring plants are not shading the crowns.

Summer

Deadhead for continued flowering, leaving selected cones if you want seed or bird food.

Autumn

Collect dry seed or sow outdoors so winter provides natural cold treatment; leave some stems standing for wildlife.

• Scatter through a sunny meadow with little bluestem and other open-growing prairie grasses.
• Plant in repeated groups in a gravel garden for upright cones and warm flower colours.
• Use near the front or middle of a dry border with butterfly weed and purple coneflower.
• Include in a sunny wildlife planting where some self-seeding and standing winter stems are welcome.

Garden styles it suits: Native meadow, Midwest prairie, Pollinator garden, Dry gravel garden, Desert / xeriscape and Wildflower.

Plant it with: Little bluestem, Prairie dropseed, Butterfly weed, Purple coneflower, Lanceleaf coreopsis and Blanket flower.

Wildlife: Flowers provide pollen and nectar for bees and other insects, including butterflies. Finches and other seed-eating birds may feed on mature cones.

• Crown or root rot in wet soil: improve drainage or move plants to a raised, freely draining position.
• Floppy stems in rich soil or shade: stop feeding and grow in full sun; discreetly support existing stems if needed.
• Powdery mildew during humid weather: thin crowded growth, improve air circulation and avoid wetting the foliage.
• Too many seedlings: deadhead before cones shed seed and pull unwanted seedlings promptly.

Not known to be toxic to people, cats, dogs or horses. Species-specific toxicity information is limited, and the plant is not intended for eating.

• Grey-headed coneflower (Ratibida pinnata)

  Usually taller, with yellow petals and a much shorter, rounded or egg-shaped central cone rather than Mexican hat's elongated column.

• Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)

  Has broad, undivided, hairy leaves and a broad dark central dome, rather than finely divided leaves and a tall narrow cone.

The common name Mexican hat refers to the flower's resemblance to a sombrero, while columnifera means column-bearing and describes its elongated central cone.

Propagation. Usually grown from seed. Sow outdoors in autumn, or cold-stratify seed for 4-6 weeks before spring sowing; press onto the surface and cover only very lightly. Move seedlings while young because established taproots dislike disturbance.

Accepted botanical name

Ratibida columnifera

In the US and Canada

Native in Canada and the lower 48 states.

Native range

Alberta, Arizona, Arkansas, British Columbia, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Manitoba and Masachusettes.

Measured

Soil pH 5.9 to 7. Average height 40 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.