Ratibida columnifera f. pulcherrima 'Red Midget'

Aptly named, the lax yellow-edged mahogany-red petals encompass distinctive black cones and look like the drooping brims of sombrero hats. Stiff, upright hairy stems are branching and clothed by deeply cut leaves, while bolstering a gazillion flame-hued flowers that entice butterflies and enhance floral arrangements. This drought tolerant Great Plains toughie lends festive accents to other easy-care perennials and grasses in a border or a natural-style planting.

This thing goes about under the common name of 'Mexican Hat' which doesn't make much sense to me unless hats in Mexico are very strange indeed. Each bloom has a long cylindrica central cone surrounded by a ring of short, recurved petals that are, in this form, a rich rusty red. Individual flowers are small, but produced in great masses over a very long period in the summer. The plant itself is a couple feet tall, a mass of fine textured foliage that is inclinded to be a bit floppy, particularly in rich soil. This selection is a shorter, less floppy form, but still, like most things from the prairies, will be happiest and look the best in lean conditions and if planted closely with other perennials around for it to lean on. Not long lived, at least in our conditions, but seeds around when happy. Zone 4 - Joseph