Native Seed of the Week! - Sweet coneflower

Native Lands Restoration Collaborative interns are digging deep to learn more about native plants and share their experiences with our community! Our Seeds of Change intern, Eliza, has been studying native seeds, how to identify, collect, clean and grow them with our experienced staff. She'll be sharing her favorite species with all of you here, on the Nature Gang blog! Today's species is sweet coneflower:

Sweet Coneflower (Rudbeckia subtomentosa) has one of the most wonderful smelling seed heads of all of our native plants. They are 3 to 5 feet tall with yellow, daisy-like flowers and a dark brown disk in the center. They can withstand high winds and tough soil, making them a great prairie plant. Sweet coneflower are perennial, and bloom for many weeks in the months of August, September, and October. This plant attracts many bees, beetles, butterflies, and skippers to their nectar. Indigenous Peoples use the root of this species medicinally to make infusions to treat worms in children and snake bites. 

Similar to bee balm (Monarda fistulosa), the best way to clean sweet coneflower seed heads is by using a small screen. Start by putting a tray under the screen so that the seeds have something to fall into. Then, just rub the seeds on top of the screen, and the tiny seeds should fall out onto the tray!