Mexican Hat – Ratibida columnifera

Description

Mexican Hat, Ratibida columnifera

Rays of colorful petals surrounding a tall cone in the center, characterize this unique, long-lasting perennial.  These sun-loving natives bloom from midsummer and into the fall.  The single flowers have deep red, daisy-like petals with yellow edges on tall stalks.  Mexican Hat likes full sun and non-alkaline soil with dry conditions.

Color:  Red/Yellow
Height: 12-36″
Type:  Biennial/Perennial
Climate:  P/Sun-Dry
Seeds/lb.: 830,000
Pkt weight:  1.5 g
Bloom time:  Late spring through summer
Zone: 4-9

WILDFLOWER SPOTLIGHT

Rays of colorful petals surrounding a tall cone in the center, characterize this unique, long-lasting perennial.  These sun loving natives bloom from midsummer and into the fall. This species thrives in hot dry climates.  The petals range from dark red with yellow to all red or all yellow.  They are natives, found throughout the Great Plains and are good for rehabilitation mixes for roadsides, recreation areas, and prairie restoration projects where the annual precipitation is 10-30 inches.

Plant the seed in the fall for overwintering or in the spring after a period of cold, dry stratification (a week or two in the refrigerator in a plastic bag).   Historically, Indians boiled the leaves and stems to make a solution to draw poison from snake bites and to relieve poison-ivy rash.  The plants or seeds provide food for deer, turkeys and other birds and small mammals.  The primary pollinator for this species is the Andrenid Bee or Miner Bee; a solitary, ground nesting bee.