Flower profile

Western coneflower

Rudbeckia occidentalis

Native in the lower 48

Western coneflower is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 3 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in July–September.

8states

3of our state lists

3,041U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Idaho, Utah, Wyoming

Quick look

Rudbeckia occidentalis is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae known by the common name western coneflower. It is native to the northwestern United States from Washington to northern California and east to Wyoming and Montana, where it grows in moist habitat types, such as meadows.
From Wikipedia's article Rudbeckia occidentalis, 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 8 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to Utah, Idaho and Wyoming. ^NatureServe
In Utah, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in July–August. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 1,001 research-grade sightings of it in Utah, ranking #54 among the 109 flowers on our Utah list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 592 research-grade sightings of it in Idaho, ranking #51 among the 109 flowers on our Idaho list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 489 research-grade sightings of it in Wyoming, ranking #61 among the 107 flowers on our Wyoming list. ^iNaturalist

Western coneflower gift ideas

Handmade western coneflower gifts from independent makers.

🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.

Placeholder

Western coneflower art print
Gift pick coming soon
Placeholder

Western coneflower greeting card
Gift pick coming soon
Placeholder

Western coneflower mug
Gift pick coming soon
Placeholder

Western coneflower earrings
Gift pick coming soon
Placeholder

Western coneflower embroidery pattern
Gift pick coming soon
Placeholder

Western coneflower sticker
Gift pick coming soon

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (238 records)

Bloom time in each of our 3 states

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Utah	Native	July–August	1,001
Idaho	Native	few records	592
Wyoming	Native	few records	489

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
Utah: No list Utah has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Utah ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Utah.
Idaho: No list Idaho has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Idaho ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Idaho.
Wyoming: No list Wyoming has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Wyoming ranks instead. NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Wyoming.
Rare elsewhere: No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

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 page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.

🌿 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 Western coneflower in 8 states.

AKMEVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILWIMINYRIMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTCAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming.

Utah counties with USDA records: Beaver, Box Elder, Cache, Carbon, Davis, Duchesne, Emery, Iron, Juab, Kane, Millard, Piute, Salt Lake, Sanpete, Sevier, Summit, Tooele, Utah, Wasatch, Washington, Weber.

Idaho counties with USDA records: Ada, Adams, Bannock, Bear Lake, Bingham, Blaine, Boise, Bonneville, Butte, Caribou, Cassia, Clark, Clearwater, Custer, Elmore, Fremont, Idaho, Kootenai, Latah, Madison, Nez Perce, Oneida, Owyhee, Shoshone, Valley.

Wyoming counties with USDA records: Lincoln, Park, Sublette, Teton.

More Utah flowers

Common yarrow

Achillea millefolium

Native

🌼 Blooms in UT: June–September

Chicory

Cichorium intybus

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in UT: June–October

Bull thistle

Cirsium vulgare

Introduced

🌼 Blooms: July–October

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile RUOC2.
iNaturalist, Rudbeckia occidentalis: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Rudbeckia occidentalis (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Utah: Utah noxious weed list (Utah Admin. Code R68-9-3).
Idaho: Idaho noxious weeds (IDAPA 02.06.09, Section 220).
Wyoming: Wyoming state designated noxious weeds (W.S. 11-5-102(a)(xi)), as listed by the Wyoming Weed & Pest Council.
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Rudbeckia occidentalis (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
Photo: Daughter Dad via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.