Cutleaf coneflower
Pictured above: Cutleaf coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata) by Eleanor Dietrich. Click on terms for botanical definitions. View post as a PDF.
Cutleaf coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata) is a robust wildflower that occurs naturally in mesic hammocks and meadows, on stream banks and in wet roadside ditches. It blooms summer through fall. The flowers are popular among pollinators and the seeds are a favored food source for songbirds.
Cutleaf coneflower’s 2- to 4-inch blooms are comprised of seven to 20 bright yellow ray florets that typically arch downward, giving the flower its eponymous cone shape. Center disk florets are greenish yellow. Leaves are alternate, with lower leaves divided into one or two pairs of broad, toothed lobes and upper leaves that may or may not be lobed. Seeds are born in achenes.
The genus name Rudbeckia is an homage to Oluf Rudbeck the Younger (1660–1740) and his father, Oluf Rudbeck the Elder (1630–1702), both of whom were Swedish botanists and professors of Carl Linnaeus, the father of modern taxonomy. The species epithet laciniata refers to Cutleaf coneflower’s lobed leaves.
Family: Asteraceae (Aster or Composite family)
Native range: Levy, Leon, Gadsden, Liberty and Walton counties
To see where natural populations of Cutleaf coneflower have been vouchered, visit www.florida.plantatlas.usf.edu.
Lifespan: Perennial
Soil: Moist to wet sand or loam
Exposure: Full sun to part shade
Growth habit: Up to 8 feet tall
Propagation: Seeds, division
Florida regions of landscape suitability: North
Garden tips: Due to its height, Cutleaf coneflower is best utilized in the background of a native plant meadow or naturalistic setting. It prefers moist soils, but once established, can tolerate brief periods of drought. It can also become a bit weedy as it tends to spread aggressively by rhizome.
Cutleaf coneflower is available from nurseries that specialize in Florida native plants. Visit www.PlantRealFlorida.org to find a nursery in your area.
Learn more about Cutleaf coneflower from the Florida Native Plant Society and the Institute for Regional Conservation.
For information on other Rudbeckia species, see these resources:
Softhair coneflower
Black-eyed Susan
