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Common Name: Cone Flower

General Information

Rudbeckia laciniata is a perennial plant that can grow up to 2.40 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials.

Known Hazards

This plant is reputed to be poisonous to cattle, sheep and pigs[].

Botanical References

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Range

N. America - Quebec to Manitoba, Colorado Florida. Locally naturalized garden escape in Britain[].

Habitat

Stream banks and moist places in rich low ground[, ]. Wet sites, along streams, edges of woods at elevations of 10 - 600 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	2.40 m
Pollinators	Bees, hoverFlies
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Succeeds in an ordinary medium soil in sun or shade[]. Requires a moist soil[]. Prefers a well-drained soil[]. Tolerates considerable wind exposure without support[]. Plants can be grown in quite coarse grass, which can be cut annually in the autumn[]. They grow particularly well in long hot late summers[].
Dormant plants are hardy to about -25°c[].
Some named forms have been selected for their ornamental value[].
Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[].
Plants can be invasive[].

Edible Uses

Edible young stems[, , ]. Cooked and eaten in the spring for 'good health'[, ]. The young stems can be eaten like celery[]. The stems can also be dried for later use[]. Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity.

Medicinal

A tea made from the root (mixed with Caulophyllum thalictroides) is used in the treatment of indigestion[, ].
A poultice of the flowers (mixed with Agastache anisatum and Solidago sp.) is applied to burns[, ].

Other Uses

A green dye is obtained from the flowers[].

Propagation

Seed - sow mid spring in a greenhouse. Only just cover the seed. Germination should take place within 2 weeks, prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out in the summer[]. The seed can also be sown in situ[].
Division in spring or autumn[]. Very easy, larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found it best to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in a lightly shaded position in a cold frame, planting them out once they are well established in the summer.