Upright Prairie Coneflower

General Information

• Plants: Perennial herbaceous plants 1–3 feet tall. The leaves are deeply cut into numerous linear or lance-shaped segments.
• Flowers: Prairie coneflower usually has bright yellow (or purple) ray flowers surrounding a dark brown, long, column-shaped disk. The distinctive column, or narrow, thimble-shaped disk, can be as much as 1 3/4" long or as little as 1/2" long. They rays are few in number (3–7), broad, and turn downward away from the disk.
• Fruits: Smooth, compressed dry achenes with short teeth.
• Flowering Season: June–September
• Habitat/Range: Grasslands and sagebrush steppe of the valleys and foothills from Canada to northern Mexico.¹

Blackfeet Ethnobotany^*

by Darnell and Smokey Rides At The Door

The Blackfeet name for prairie coneflower is A Okspii Yi Pisats Sais Ski. It translates to 'sticky headed flower.' From a traditional medicinal standpoint, prairie coneflower is often drunk in a tea to treat eye problems, sore nipples from nursing, indigestion, and to slow hair loss. It is dried and stored for use in the winter months. For horses, the plant was applied to saddle sores. A yellow or orange dye can be created from the head of the flower.²

From the Journals

by H. Wayne Phillips

Prairie coneflower is not among the plants known to have been collected or discussed in the Lewis and Clark Journals, but it is common and widespread in the High Plains where the expedition traveled. The Native American cultures of the Plains use this plant for a plethora of herbal remedies. There is very little chance Lewis and Clark did not come into contact with the plant.³

Additional Information: This flower boasts many common names, including thimbleflower, longheaded coneflower, and Mexican hat. Most blooms have 200–400+ disc florets in which seeds are shaken off by the wind. The scientific name of this plant has changed frequently over the past two hundred years.⁴

^*While traditional medicine is still practiced in many cultures including the Blackfeet culture and has many uses, please do not consume any plant material without consultation of a health professional.