Rudbeckia laciniata (Cutleaf coneflower)

Cutleaf coneflower, also called green-headed coneflower, or sochan, is a Rudbeckia genus flower adapted to shady and wet conditions. It commonly occurs in wet fields and open floodplain woods, and along the edges of rivers and streams, where its strong roots can retain soil.

 

The showy summer blooms attract many different bees, wasps, butterflies, beetles, and moths. The flowers support over two dozen specialist bees, insects which have evolved to rely on the pollen and nectar of the blooms of Rudbeckia and a select few other genuses to survive. Plants of the Rudbeckia genus are a host to 20 insects in our area, including the Silvery Checkerspot (Chlosyne nycteis).

 

Songbirds such as goldfinches eat the still-ripening seeds in late summer and fall. The tall stems are used by overwintering insects. This coneflower can grow in part-sun to shade, receiving 1 hour or less of sun. More light means more blooms.

 

Cutleaf coneflower spreads by seed and by short rhizomes to form an eye-catching colony over time, especially in moist and sunny sites. The plants are easy to dig up and thin or move in the fall and spring. This species is not finicky with transplanting, best done in fall or early spring. Young plants may need more care in additional sun, and can become semi-drought tolerant once established, though will need occasional watering.

 

Early spring leaves can be cooked as greens and were used by some Native Americans medicinally and as a food source. The name Sochan is of Cherokee origin referring to this plant.