Operation
NICE! plant of the season
Summer 2007
Perennial: Mexican-Hat (Ratibida columnifera)
Variation in Mexican-Hat flower petal color.
Photos by Lon Turnbull, Marilyn Blanton, Kathy Saucier (left to
right).
Description: Ratibida
columnifera goes by several names: Mexican-Hat, Upright Prairie
Coneflower, Long-headed Coneflower, and Thimble-Flower. This
prairie perennial grows over most of the US, including our
region. Mexican-Hat will usually grow 1 to 3 feet tall. It
has a branching growth pattern, with deeply lobed leaves 2 inches wide
and up to 6 inches long.
Blooms: Mexican-Hat
blooms from May through July with occasional flowers later in the
summer. The flowers resemble sombreros, giving Mexican-Hat its
most common name. The flower petals range in color from solid
yellow to red with a splash of yellow to reddish-brown. In both
types, the petals surround an upright 1- to 2-inch brownish cone that
develops seeds.
Planting sites:
Mexican-Hat should be planted in full sun to light shade in
well-drained soil. It tolerates a range of soil pH, from weakly
acidic to moderately alkaline. It will grow well in sandy loam, loam,
or clay-based soil. Plants should be spaced 2-3 feet apart.
Mexican-Hat seeds can be planted in the early spring or in the fall.
Watering Instructions:
Mexican-Hat should be watered well immediately after planting
and then every other week during the first growing season. Like
most native plants, Mexican-Hat should not be over-watered and should
not be planted where it might experience “wet feet”.
After the first growing season, Mexican-Hat is very drought tolerant
and should survive with existing rainfall.
Comments: Mexican-Hat is
a stalwart of our prairies and deserving of a place in our
gardens. It does very well in the heat of a Texas summer and can
also withstand high humidity. It will slowly spread and performs well
in average to poor soil, making it well-suited for North Texas
xeriscapes. It can be propagated from plantlets that grow on the
main branches of a parent plant. Mexican-Hat keeps a green
foliage rosette during our mild winters and during the
summer, makes a nice cut flower for bouquets.
Look for the NICE! Plant of the Season signs and information sheets on
your next visit to a participating
North Texas nursery. Thank
you for using native plants in your landscapes.
Written by: Dr. Rebecca Dickstein, Professor of Biology, University of
North Texas.
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Last noted update by
Lon: March 19, 2009.