Wasatch Wildflowers: Western Coneflower (Rudbeckia occidentalis)

Photo: Western Coneflower (Rudbeckia occidentalis) – photo: Ashley Brown

WASATCH MOUNTAINS, Utah. The western coneflower is a perennial herb native to Utah. The plant gets its name from the projecting brown disk flowers that grow with maturity and can reach up to 2 inches in length. The ovate leaves alternate on a thick, stiff stalk. The plant is between 2 and 4 feet tall and often hovers above other flowers in wildflower fields.

The western coneflower is an important food source for animals in the Wasatch Mountains, ranging from birds to larger creatures like deer, elk, and moose. Coneflowers bloom June through September in mountain shrub, mountain meadow, and aspen communities between 7000 and 10400 feet.