Ratibida Reverie

Today we're taking a field trip about a mile due west of the Greenway, to Terry Trueblood Recreation Area, where you might encounter a few small patches of Ratibida columnifera, known variously as Mexican Hat, Upright (or Longheaded) Coneflower, and Prairie Coneflower—the second of only two species of Ratibida found in our area (and only four found in the entire U.S.).

While the Gray-headed Coneflower (R. pinnata) is native to the tallgrass prairie and widespread throughout Iowa, its low-growing cousin actually hails from out west in the Great Plains, with only the eastern edge of its range just reaching western Iowa. It is adapted to drier conditions than R. pinnata and probably finds the sandy area around TTRA more amendable than the Greenway's moist soils.

You can tell the two species apart by the shape of the flowers (although the photo above and at right is a slightly stunted specimen): R. columnifera's "cones" are usually longer than its wide yellow petals, whereas R. pinnata's yellow petals are longer and thinner beneath a shorter, more rounded "cone". 

Left: Ratibida columnifera. Right: R. pinnata

The leaves and growth habits reflect the habitat preferences of each plant as well: R. columnifera's skinny, hairy leaves help minimize water loss and exposure to the hot sun; R. pinnata's leaves are wider and while also a bit hairy, not as densely so. And much as the prairie transitions from the tallgrass in the east, with its abundant moisture, to shortgrass in the arid west, the tallgrass species Ratibida pinnata can reach 4-5 feet tall while R. columnifera tops out around 3 feet. 

Mexican Hat comes in different forms: its petals may be solid yellow, solid dark red, or dark red with yellow at the edges. Given its natural range, those individuals you find in our area are likely planted specimens from a seed mix or as garden ornamentals. They can be visited by bees, butterflies, and other insects, similar to Gray-headed Coneflower.

Cultivated R. columnifera (from the author's garden)

Sources/Additional Reading:

• http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/prairie/plantx/mexican_hat.htm
• https://bonap.net/Napa/TaxonMaps/Genus/County/Ratibida
• Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie - Resource Management (usda.gov)