Growing the Clasping Coneflower

The clasping coneflower is a flower native to the United States. It is known botanically as Rudbeckia amplexicaulis. It is a member of the Asteraceae, or Aster, family of plants. An annual, it must be replanted every year you want growth.

Clasping Coneflower Description

This plant grows two to three feet high with smooth stems and green leaves. Leaves are heart-shaped on their base and oblong. Flowers are terminal flowerheads with yellow petals and a dark centers. The clasping leaves are what distinguish these from other similar coneflowers. Bloom season is between April and July.

Growing Guide

Grow a clasping coneflower in partial shade and moist soil. Propagate by seed. For best blooming and growth, mulch and remove dead blooms. Never let the soil completely dry out. Seeds will take seven to 30 days to germinate and needs an optimum soil temperature of 70 degrees.

Interesting Facts for Clasping Coneflower

Rudbeckia amplexicaulis juice was used for earaches by the Cherokee Indian tribe. A tea from the leaves was for a tonic and for a diuretic. Today it is an ornamental bloom for wildflower meadows and prairies, providing nectar for butterflies and bees.

Distribution

The clasping coneflower is distributed throughout Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, North Dakota, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Texas. It is generally found in ravines, depressions, and ditches along the roads.

Prairie Planting

Use the ‘Growing Guide’ above and plant 1/16 inches into the soil. There is an average of 800,000 seeds per pound and an average acre of prairie will need three pounds of seed per acre of planting. There is an 80 percent success rate on germination. It is also a heavy reseeder.

Clasping coneflower makes for a nice flower, especially in garden beds that have black-eyed susans and purple coneflowers. This casual-looking bloom make it a great wildflower favorite.

Source: NPIN

http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=DRAM


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