Wildflower · Deer-resistant
Mexican Hat
Ratibida columnifera
Also called: Upright Prairie Coneflower, Thimbleflower
A whimsical prairie flower whose drooping petals form a sombrero beneath a tall central cone. Long-blooming, drought-proof, and a magnet for small native bees.
Growing & care
Thrives on tough clay and reseeds freely into a colony. Cut back midseason if leggy. No fertilizer or extra water needed once up.
Bloom season
In bloom: May–Oct · Colors: red, yellow
Where to buy
Look for mexican hat (Ratibida columnifera) at: Prairie Moon Nursery, Eden Brothers seed, native Texas nurseries.
Sources
Range, nomenclature, and the USDA symbol above come from the federal plant record for this species. Check it yourself:
Good for
Plant it with
Natives that pair with mexican hat
Same conditions, same uses — species that share mexican hat's growing requirements and belong in the same bed.
Fall Aster
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
A mounding aster that vanishes into the background all summer, then bursts into a haze of blue-purple daisies in October — a lifeline of late nectar for pollinators..
Indian Blanket
Gaillardia pulchella
The red-and-gold pinwheel daisy that blankets Texas roadsides all summer.
Little Bluestem
Schizachyrium scoparium
The backbone grass of the American prairie, turning coppery-mahogany in fall and silver-tufted in winter.
Purple Prairie Clover
Dalea purpurea
A fine-textured prairie legume with thimbles of purple bloom ringed in orange pollen.
Sideoats Grama
Bouteloua curtipendula
The state grass of Texas, hanging its tiny oat-like seeds along one side of each stem, tinged with orange-red pollen.
Gayfeather
Liatris mucronata
Spires of feathery purple that open top-down in fall, when Monarchs are moving through and desperate for nectar.