How to Grow and Care for Mexican Hat Flower (Prairie Coneflower)

The Mexican hat flower (Ratibida columnifera) or prairie coneflower is a pretty, ornamental wildflower species with drooping mahogany-red blooms that are tinged with yellow on the edges and long, prominent cylindrical disks in the center. Mexican hat flower is drought-tolerant, grows best in hot and dry regions, requires full sun, and neutral or alkaline soil. The flowers resemble a Mexican sombrero and grow natively in Mexico, which inspired its common name. Be aware that, today, a Mexican hat is often considered a negative, sometimes harmful stereotype and a form of cultural appropriation.

Mexican Hat Flower Care

Here are the main care requirements for growing a Mexican hat flower:

• Plant a Mexican hat flower in the fall or spring for prolific summer and fall blooms.
• Grow this clump-forming perennial in groups within a meadow, cottage, or wildflower garden, or at the back of borders in sunny gardens.
• Choose a site with full sun, though it can tolerate slight shade.
• Avoid planting Mexican hat flowers in moisture-rich or heavy clay soil. Add a small amount of compost only to poor-quality soil.
• Water deeply and infrequently.

Light

As a native Mexican plant, the Ratibida columnifera thrives in full sun. It can tolerate light shade, but the more sun this plant receives, the more abundant and long-lasting the bloom season will be.

Soil

Mexican hat flowers can adapt to a wide range of soil types. They can thrive even if it is dry and nutrient-poor. However, it can't cope with moisture-rich or heavy clay soil. If the soil is exceptionally moist and fertile, the plant could be choked out by taller, more aggressive species.

Water

One of the Mexican hat flower's stand-out qualities is its drought tolerance once established, even in the hottest and driest regions. However, if you want to see the most impressive and long-lasting bloom periods through the summer, offer these plants deep waterings infrequently. It can also be helpful to use mulch, particularly in arid and hot regions, to help conserve moisture. During the winter and spring, occasional additional irrigation will only be required if the seasons are dry.

Temperature and Humidity

These plants thrive in hot and dry regions. However, too much moisture, rainfall, or cold temperatures are problematic.

Fertilizer

Mexican hat flowers can still thrive in nutrient-poor soils, so they generally don't need additional fertilization. However, adding a small amount of compost when the Ratibida columnifera is being planted is sometimes suggested, but only if the soil is poor quality.

Types of Mexican Hat Flowers

The only variety of note is the Mexican hat flower 'Red Midget,' a compact, erect perennial with hairy, gray-green leaves and slender, branching stems bearing daisy-like, dark red flowers.

Pruning

If you don't want your plants to reseed themselves, you can mow them down after they bloom. Most enthusiasts let some seed heads ripen and instead cut them back in early spring to help the plants naturalize. The ripened seeds are a good food source for wild birds during the winter.

Propagating Mexican Hat Flower

It's best to divide Mexican hat flower plants every few years in the springtime to refresh them and keep their vibrant color. To do so, dig up a clump of the plant to retrieve the root ball. Gently divide the root ball, plant the root balls at least 1 foot away from one another to give them room to grow, and water to establish.

How to Grow Mexican Hat Flower From Seed

This plant also propagates from seeds easily if you prefer to bypass the labor involved with dividing root balls. A single seed head yields hundreds of tiny seeds. If you don't plant them straight into the ground in the fall, then the stored seeds may benefit from a period of cold, dry stratification in winter storage before planting them in the spring. Follow these steps when planting the seeds in whichever season you choose:

1. Broadcast the tiny seeds on top of the ground and then lightly rake the area. Do not bury the seeds deeply into the ground because they need light.
2. Cover the area with a very fine layer of vermiculate to prevent these light and tiny seeds from blowing away, but give them as little cover as possible so the light can reach them for germination.
3. Be sure the seed is in good contact with the soil by lightly raking it into loose topsoil.
4. Water the area regularly until the Mexican hat flowers are established. 

Potting and Repotting Mexican Hat Flower

Mexican hat flowers look great as potted plants in any warm, well-lit indoor setting. However, if indoors in containers, the plant will need repotting on occasion. These plants are fast growers and may outgrow their pots in several months. To avoid stressing your plants too much, repot them in early spring before their active growing season. If repotting, transplant them into containers that are one size larger than their current ones.

Common Pests & Plant Diseases

Ratibida columnifera is mostly free of pest and disease problems, but it is not immune. You may spot Japanese beetles and aphids on the plants. Hand-pick the beetles off the plants if the infestation is small, spray neem oil if there's more than you can count, or get better control of beetles by treating the soil with milky spore powder. Spray the aphids off with the garden hose.

Mexican hat flowers dislike wet feet and will get root rot as a result. Let the flowers dry out to reduce the problem.

How to Get Mexican Hat Flower to Bloom

Bloom Months

Mexican hat flowers won't bloom until their second year. When they do bloom, look for flowers from May through October, especially if it's been a rainy season.

What Do Mexican Hat Flowers Look and Smell Like?

These ornamental flowers are popular as cut flowers thanks to their unusual deep red petals and towering central cones. The flowers do not have a fragrance but the foliage has a distinct odor that acts as a repellant to deer.

How to Encourage More Blooms

Once it blooms, however, you can extend the bloom time by deadheading the plants through the summer. The flowers will also have an extended bloom time if there has been plenty of moisture.

Common Problems With Mexican Hat Flower

These wildflowers pose few problems. But here are a couple of things to look out for when growing Mexican hat flowers.

Wilting or Mushy Stems

Wilt can happen to overwatered plants, such as Mexican hat flowers. You will also be able to tell if the flowers are overwatered if the stems are mushy, which indicates root rot. You can try to dry out the plants or apply a copper fungicide which may have some effect.

Skeletonized Leaves

Mexican hat flowers with skeletonized or holey leaves are the work of Japanese beetles. You can't miss these insects because they have a coppery-black body with a metallic blue-green head.