Bloomipedia
Cutleaf coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata)
Photo: Kailey Alderfer via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Cutleaf coneflower

Rudbeckia laciniata

Native in the lower 48

Cutleaf coneflower is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 13 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in July–September.

45states
13of our state lists
30,429U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Virginia, Wisconsin

Quick look

Rudbeckia laciniata, the cutleaf coneflower, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. Other common names include cutleaf, goldenglow, green-headed coneflower, tall coneflower, sochan and thimbleweed. It is native to North American floodplains, stream banks, and moist forests. Although toxic to animals, the leaves have culinary uses.

  • It belongs to the Asteraceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) / a subshrub with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 45 states. USDA PLANTS
  • In North Carolina, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in July–September. iNaturalist
  • In Illinois, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in July–September. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as yellow. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as late summer. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 8.2 ft. USDA PLANTS
  • iNaturalist has 3,649 research-grade sightings of it in North Carolina, ranking #33 among the 111 flowers on our North Carolina list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 2,332 research-grade sightings of it in Illinois, ranking #81 among the 109 flowers on our Illinois list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 2,276 research-grade sightings of it in Pennsylvania, ranking #93 among the 111 flowers on our Pennsylvania list. iNaturalist

Cutleaf coneflower gift ideas

Handmade cutleaf coneflower gifts from independent makers.

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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (3,478 records)
Bloom time in each of our 13 states
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
North CarolinaNativeJuly–September3,649
IllinoisNativeJuly–September2,332
PennsylvaniaNativeJuly–September2,276
OhioNativeJuly–September2,208
MinnesotaNativeJuly–September2,197
VirginiaNativeJuly–September1,876
WisconsinNativeJuly–September1,613
MarylandNativeJuly–September1,273
IndianaNativeJuly–September1,110
New MexicoNativeJune–August965
IowaNativeAugust–September489
South DakotaNativefew records178
North DakotaNativefew records59

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)
Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
NatureServe global
G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
North Carolina
Not listed Not on North Carolina Protected Plant Species List (02 NCAC 48F .0301). NatureServe: S5, secure in North Carolina. 02 NCAC 48F .0301
Illinois
Not listed Not on Illinois List of Endangered and Threatened Flora (17 Ill. Adm. Code 1050), per the Endangered Species Protection Board's 2025 checklist. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Illinois. IL E&T checklist 2025
Pennsylvania
Not listed Not on Pennsylvania classified native plants (17 Pa. Code Ch. 45, Subchapter B, as amended 2023). NatureServe: S5, secure in Pennsylvania. 17 Pa. Code Ch. 45
Ohio
Not listed Not on Ohio endangered and threatened plants (Ohio Adm. Code 1501:18-1-03, eff. Dec. 26, 2024). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Ohio. OAC 1501:18-1-03
Minnesota
Not listed Not on Minnesota endangered, threatened and special concern plants (Minn. R. 6134.0300). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Minnesota. Minn. R. 6134.0300
Virginia
Not listed Not on Virginia endangered and threatened plant and insect species (2VAC5-320-10). NatureServe: S5, secure in Virginia. 2VAC5-320-10
Wisconsin
Not listed Not on Wisconsin endangered and threatened species list (Wis. Admin. Code NR 27.03). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Wisconsin. NR 27.03
Maryland
Not listed Not on Maryland threatened and endangered plants (COMAR 08.03.08.05, .06 and .08). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Maryland. COMAR 08.03.08
Indiana
No list Indiana has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (the DNR keeps a rare plant list, but it isn't regulatory), so we show NatureServe's Indiana ranks instead. NatureServe: S5, secure in Indiana.
New Mexico
Not listed Not on New Mexico state endangered plant species (19.21.2.9 NMAC). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in New Mexico. 19.21.2.9 NMAC
Iowa
Not listed Not on Iowa endangered, threatened and special concern plants (Iowa Admin. Code r. 571-77.3). NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Iowa. IAC 571-77.3
South Dakota
No list South Dakota's endangered and threatened list (ARSD 41:10:02) covers animals only, so we show NatureServe's South Dakota ranks for plants. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in South Dakota.
North Dakota
No list North Dakota has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's North Dakota ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in North Dakota.
Rare elsewhere
Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: UT (S1). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no edibility or poison notes on its page), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. NC State Extension

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records cutleaf coneflower in 45 states plus Washington, D.C.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming; District of Columbia.

North Carolina counties with USDA records: Alamance, Alleghany, Anson, Ashe, Avery, Brunswick, Buncombe, Burke, Cabarrus, Caldwell, Caswell, Catawba, Chatham, Cherokee, Cleveland, Craven, Currituck, Davidson, Duplin, Durham, Forsyth, Gaston, Gates, Graham, Granville, Guilford, Haywood, Henderson, Iredell, Jackson, Johnston, Jones, Lee, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, Martin, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Mitchell, Montgomery, Moore, Onslow, Orange, Person, Polk, Randolph, Rockingham, Rowan, Rutherford, Stokes, Surry, Swain, Transylvania, Union, Vance, Wake, Warren, Watauga, Wilkes, Wilson, Yadkin, Yancey.

Illinois counties with USDA records: Adams, Boone, Brown, Bureau, Calhoun, Carroll, Cass, Champaign, Clark, Coles, Cook, Crawford, Cumberland, De Witt, DeKalb, Douglas, DuPage, Edwards, Effingham, Fayette, Fulton, Gallatin, Greene, Grundy, Hamilton, Hancock, Hardin, Henderson, Henry, Iroquois, Jackson, Jasper, Jersey, Jo Daviess, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Knox, Lake, Lawrence, Lee, Livingston, Logan, Macon, Macoupin, Marion, Mason, McDonough, McHenry, McLean, Menard, Mercer, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Ogle, Peoria, Perry, Piatt, Pike, Pope, Putnam, Randolph, Richland, Rock Island, Sangamon, Schuyler, Scott, Shelby, St. Clair, Stark, Stephenson, Vermilion, Wabash, Washington, Whiteside, Will, Williamson, Winnebago, Woodford.

Pennsylvania counties with USDA records: Adams, Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Berks, Blair, Bradford, Bucks, Butler, Cambria, Cameron, Carbon, Centre, Chester, Clarion, Clearfield, Clinton, Crawford, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Elk, Erie, Fayette, Forest, Franklin, Fulton, Greene, Huntingdon, Indiana, Jefferson, Juniata, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Lawrence, Lebanon, Lehigh, Luzerne, Lycoming, McKean, Mercer, Mifflin, Monroe, Montgomery, Montour, Northampton, Northumberland, Perry, Philadelphia, Pike, Potter, Schuylkill, Snyder, Somerset, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga, Union, Venango, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Westmoreland, Wyoming, York.

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Sources