Wild Golden Glow, Rudbeckia laciniata
( Redbeckia laciniata ) aka Cut-leaf Coneflower, Tall Coneflower Bloom Time: Summer – Fall (July – September) Location: prefers part-sun and moist environments. Frequently grows along woodland edges, in floodplains, swamps and wet ditches. Common throughout Minnesota (general). Found throughout the floodplains in the Arboretum, and on along a few of the paths on campus (Arb). Family: Aster (Asteraceae) Physical Description: possesses 2-25 flower heads atop individual stalks. Blooms are large (2-3 in. across) and have 6-12 drooping yellow petals. Center has the appearance of a green cone. Basal leaves are long and deeply lobed, becoming smaller and less lobed as they ascend toward the flower. Grows to be 2-10 ft. tall. Spreads quite efficiently using rhizomes (roots) and can form dense colonies. One of the first plants to reappear on the floodplain after a large flood or disturbance. The goldfinch occasionally consumes its seeds, but it’s rarely browsed by herbivores (toxic foliage).