Flower profile

Grey-headed coneflower

Ratibida pinnata

Grey-headed coneflower (Ratibida pinnata) is a flowering plant in the Asteraceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly June–August across the U.S.

Native in the lower 48

Grey-headed coneflower is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 9 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in June–August.

29states where USDA records it

9Bloomipedia state lists include it

20,429U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Wisconsin

Quick look

Ratibida pinnata is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae known by the common names pinnate prairie coneflower, gray-head coneflower, yellow coneflower, and prairie coneflower. It is native to the central and eastern United States and Ontario in Canada.
From Wikipedia's article Ratibida pinnata, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Asteraceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 29 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
In Illinois, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in July–August. ^iNaturalist
In Wisconsin, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in July–August. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as yellow. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as late spring. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 4 ft. ^{USDA PLANTS}
iNaturalist has 4,596 research-grade sightings of it in Illinois, ranking #22 among the 180 flowers on our Illinois list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 3,126 research-grade sightings of it in Wisconsin, ranking #37 among the 161 flowers on our Wisconsin list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 2,370 research-grade sightings of it in Ohio, ranking #74 among the 186 flowers on our Ohio list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (1,573 records)

Bloom time in the 9 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Illinois	Native	July–August	4,596
Wisconsin	Native	July–August	3,126
Ohio	Native	July–August	2,370
Minnesota	Native	July–August	2,316
Missouri	Native	June–July	1,173
Iowa	Native	July–August	1,059
Indiana	Native	June–August	1,052
Kansas	Native	few records (23)	473
Nebraska	Native	few records (3)	198

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

State rare plant lists

Not listed Not on the official rare plant list in 7 of our 9 states.

See each state

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}
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}
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}
Missouri: Not listed Not on Missouri Wildlife Code endangered species (3 CSR 10-4.111), plants. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Missouri. ^{3 CSR 10-4.111}
Iowa: Not listed Not on Iowa endangered, threatened and special concern plants (Iowa Admin. Code r. 571-77.3). NatureServe: S5, secure in Iowa. ^{IAC 571-77.3}
Nebraska: Not listed Not on Nebraska threatened and endangered species (163 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 4, § 004). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Nebraska. ^{163 NAC 4-004}

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: S4, apparently secure in Indiana.

Kansas

No list Kansas's endangered and threatened list (K.A.R. 115-15-1) covers animals only, so we show NatureServe's Kansas ranks for plants. NatureServe: S5, secure in Kansas.

Rare elsewhere

Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: FL (S2), LA (S2), PA (S1), SC (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 grey-headed coneflower in 29 states.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin.

Illinois counties with USDA records: Adams, Alexander, Boone, Brown, Bureau, Calhoun, Carroll, Cass, Champaign, Christian, Clay, Coles, Cook, Crawford, De Witt, DeKalb, Douglas, DuPage, Edgar, Edwards, Effingham, Fayette, Ford, Franklin, Fulton, Greene, Grundy, Hancock, Hardin, Henderson, Henry, Iroquois, Jackson, Jersey, Jo Daviess, Johnson, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Knox, LaSalle, Lake, Lawrence, Lee, Livingston, Logan, Macon, Macoupin, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Mason, McDonough, McHenry, McLean, Menard, Mercer, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Moultrie, Ogle, Peoria, Perry, Piatt, Pike, Pope, Putnam, Randolph, Richland, Sangamon, Scott, Shelby, St. Clair, Stark, Stephenson, Tazewell, Vermilion, Wabash, Warren, Washington, Whiteside, Will, Williamson, Winnebago.

Wisconsin counties with USDA records: Ashland, Bayfield, Brown, Buffalo, Columbia, Crawford, Dane, Dodge, Douglas, Fond du Lac, Grant, Green, Green Lake, Iowa, Iron, Jefferson, Kenosha, La Crosse, Lafayette, Lincoln, Milwaukee, Monroe, Oconto, Oneida, Ozaukee, Pepin, Pierce, Racine, Richland, Rock, Sauk, St. Croix, Trempealeau, Vernon, Walworth, Washburn, Washington, Waukesha, Winnebago.

Ohio counties with USDA records: Adams, Athens, Auglaize, Butler, Champaign, Clark, Clermont, Coshocton, Crawford, Darke, Defiance, Delaware, Erie, Franklin, Gallia, Greene, Hamilton, Henry, Highland, Huron, Jefferson, Knox, Logan, Lucas, Madison, Marion, Montgomery, Ottawa, Pickaway, Pike, Putnam, Ross, Sandusky, Scioto, Seneca, Shelby, Stark, Summit, Union, Van Wert, Washington, Williams, Wood, Wyandot.

Growing conditions

USDA PLANTS gives Grey-headed coneflower a high shade tolerance, high drought tolerance and low moisture use. It is rated for soil pH 5.6 to 6.8 and winter lows down to -38 °F.

Shade tolerance: High
Drought tolerance: High
Moisture use: Low
Soil textures it is adapted to: coarse, medium
Soil pH range: 5.6 to 6.8
Minimum temperature tolerated: -38 °F
Frost-free days needed (minimum): 100
Annual precipitation range: 18 to 38 inches
Minimum root depth: 14 inches
Salinity tolerance: None
Fertility requirement: Medium
Growth rate: Moderate
Lifespan: Moderate
Active growth period: Spring and Summer
Fruit or seed: Brown · Summer to Fall
Can be propagated by: container, seed
Commercial availability: Routinely Available

From the USDA PLANTS characteristics data for RAPI. USDA ratings are general guidance for the species, not a guarantee for your garden.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Canada: Native; Lower 48 states: Native.

Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Lepachys pinnata, Rudbeckia pinnata.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 599 counties across 27 states; the most are in Missouri (91), Illinois (85), Indiana (52).

Other Ratibida on Bloomipedia (1): Upright prairie coneflower.

More from the Asteraceae family (212 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Common yarrow, Goldenrods, White snakeroot, Sunflowers, Chicory, Black-eyed Susan, Bull thistle, Common dandelion.

More Illinois flowers

White snakeroot

Ageratina altissima

Native

🌼 Blooms in IL: August–October

Chicory

Cichorium intybus

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in IL: June–September

Compass plant

Silphium laciniatum

Native

🌼 Blooms in IL: June–August

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile RAPI.
iNaturalist, Ratibida pinnata: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Ratibida pinnata (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
State rare and invasive plant lists (16):
Show all 16 state lists
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Ratibida pinnata (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
Photo: Brighton Lee via iNaturalist · CC0 · resized.