Deno’s GardenMy Garden

Rudbeckia occidentalis

Western Cone-flower · Western Coneflower

Family AsteraceaeGenus Rudbeckia

A tall dark brown cone ringed at the base by tiny yellow florets, with narrow green bracts below and no petals at all.
FlowerRhododendritesCC BY-SA 4.0

About the plant

What it is and where it grows — not part of any germination protocol.

Habit
Perennial, Forb/herbPLANTS Database
Flower
Yellowish green, blackish maroonFlora of North America
Native range
Native to the lower 48 statesPLANTS Database

Toxicity is noted only where a source states it. No note here is not a finding of safety.

Sources: PLANTS Database — USDA NRCS; Flora of North America — Flora of North America Editorial Committee.

Worth knowing

  • The western coneflower has no ray florets: its flower heads are just a purple-brown cone of disc florets ringed by bent-back bracts, on stems up to about 2 m tall. Wikipedia: Rudbeckia occidentalis

This source reports two treatments. Both are shown.

Protocol 1

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1998

Difficulty Low Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around March 22, 2027 for a May 3 last frost. Too late for spring 2027 — that needed starting on March 21, 2026.

  1. Dry storage

    Duration: 365 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

  2. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C Light: dark

about 12 months from start to sowing. Then 15 days to germinate.

88% germination in 4–15 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1998 · 2nd Supplement, Rudbeckia p. 59Public domain
Show the original text
Rudbeckia (Asteraceae). ^ R. occidentalis germ. 70D(71% in 4-10 w) for fresh seeds and 70D(88% in 4-15 d) for seeds DS 1 y. „ • . -
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement, 2nd Supplement, Rudbeckia p. 59. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 2

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1998

Difficulty Low Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around January 25, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C Light: dark

No stated waiting before sowing. Then 70 days to germinate.

71% germination in 28–70 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1998 · 2nd Supplement, Rudbeckia p. 59Public domain
Show the original text
Rudbeckia (Asteraceae). ^ R. occidentalis germ. 70D(71% in 4-10 w) for fresh seeds and 70D(88% in 4-15 d) for seeds DS 1 y. „ • . -
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement, 2nd Supplement, Rudbeckia p. 59. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

How each step is done, in Deno’s words, and what Verified and Derived mean.

Germination trials

Readers’ own records of sowing this species, published after review. Share your trial · All trials

Add to My Garden

View species page