Mexican Hat

Prairie Coneflower

This showy wildflower is a great addition to the pollinator garden. The unusual and very bright orange/red colorful blooms are beautiful in the garden all summer and the 2-foot-tall seed stalks can be left standing and make ideal song bird seed!  Traditionally the tea of the aerial parts was used for stomach aches, headaches and also used externally for poison ivy and snakebites. Native to the Midwest prairies, this plant has naturalized over much of the US. It makes an excellent addition to the pollinator garden or a sweet splash of color to any medicinal planting. Very drought tolerant once established and the strong-smelling foliage is quite deer resistant! The flowers also make quite a nice cut flower! Perennial. Hardy to Zones 4-9.