[Members of the Sunflower Family with Button-like Flower Heads East of the Cascade Mountains of Oregon and Washington]

Western Coneflower, Western Chocolate-cone, Black Head

Rudbeckia occidentalis var. occidentalis

Synonym: Rudbeckia occidentalis var. occidentalis

Close-up of the flower head of western coneflower as seen along the Round Mountain Trail #805 on the northern slopes of Round Mountain, Ochoco National Forest...........August 8, 2014.

Western Coneflower, Western Chocolate-cone, Black Head: Rudbeckia occidentalis var. occidentalis

The photo at right shows the upright stalk with the large flower head elevated far above the stem leaves. Photo taken along the Lostine River in the Wallowa-Whitman N.F...............July 24, 1997.

Characteristics:

Western cone flower is an interesting perennial wildflower with erect stems arising from 50-200 cm high. The large leaves are both basal and alternately arranged upon the stems. The herbage varies from coarse and rough to short-hairy. The leaves are broadly ovate or elliptic and measure up to 25 cm long and 15 cm wide. The margins are entire, serrate, or sometimes pinnatifid. The lower leaves have petioles while those above have much reduced petioles.

The flower heads are large and prominent, often reaching 6 cm in fruit. The flowers are chocolate brown to black in color and all are discoid. The heads are subtended by large bracts which are longer than the heads while in bloom.

Western cone flower makes an unusual wildflower for use at the back of open flower beds. It is fairly easy to grow although it is necessary to protect its emerging leaves from slugs during the moist, early portion of the growing season.

Habitat:

Western chocolate-cone is a plant of streambanks and woodlands.

Range:

Western chocolate-cone is found from Washington south to California, and eastward to southwest Montana, northwest Wyoming, and Utah.

Western coneflower with bumblebee pollinator as seen along the Round Mountain Trail #805 on the northern slopes of Round Mountain, Ochoco National Forest...........August 8, 2014.

Flower head of Western Coneflower, Western Chocolate-cone, Black Head: Rudbeckia occidentalis var. occidentalis

The discoid flower head and long subtending bracts which surround them of western cone flower are shown in the illustration above. Taken near Tollgate, OR along Oregon Highway 204...........July 6, 1999.

The photo at left shows western chocolate-cone as seen along the Umatilla Rim Trail #3080 near Tollgate, Umatilla National Forest.........June 24, 2007. The photo at right shows a flower head of western chocolate-cone as seen along the first mile of the Maxwell Lake Trail, Eagle Cap Wilderness........August 3, 2016.

Western coneflower as seen at a seep along the Roads End Trail #201A about one quarter of a mile from the junction with the Onion Creek Trail #368, Strawberry Mountain Wilderness.........July 18, 2013.

Western chocolate-cone as seen (left) amongst field horsetail in a riparian area in the upper portion of the upper reservoir above Olive Lake, Greenhorn Mountains, Umatilla National Forest..........July 28, 2013. The photo at right shows western chocolate-cone as seen in upper Slide Basin along the Slide Basin Trail #372, Strawberry Mountain Wilderness.........August 11, 2015.

Western chocolate-cone from Irondyck C.G., Wallowa-Whitman N.F........late July, 1997.

Paul Slichter