I love that plant. In my garden it's short lived. I do have some seeds and was thinking of sowing them. You're inspiring me.

Some perennials will take off like rockets their first year and some do not. They just sit there and make you think they're stunted or misfit, the next year they're a little bit bigger so you give them another reprieve, and the third year blows you away. Daylilies and hostas are notorious for this, hostas are annoyingly slow.

It must be very pretty with the mahoganys and golds together, the gaillardia and the mexican hat have similar colors.

T

My Mexican hats are huge this year, too. WSown last year and they were about a foot tall last summer. Like you, I thought that would be about it. This year mine are also close to 3 feet. I have planted some annuals near it which are being overshadowed and shaded by them; I really should move those annuals.

The first Mex hat blossom opened today. Very cute!

Karen

They're great to save seeds from. Wait for the cone to mature and get totally bone dry after the petals drop. You'll know it's ready because you can squeeze it and lift it right off the stem, then crumble onto a plate. Super easy!

They are one of the easiest to grow and save seeds from. Mine are about 4 feet tall!!

Alli

Mine are fantastic this year too, mainly because we have had low humidity and it has been dry. They like it a bit better dry. I have these, gaillardia, yellow coneflower, black eyed susans and coreopsis tripteris all together, along with some re-seeding melipodium. What a show every year, right in the area between the sidewalk and the driveway. Daylilies from seed are blooming there too, all in yellows, burgundy and rusty reds.

GGG

I want to see a picture of your mature mexican hats. The first time I grew it I was so disappointed because the flower on the package was so much larger than mine, but I have never grown one to maturity. I have two stunted ones right now that just really need to be moved. I would just LOVE to see what they are supposed to look like! Not an up close picture necessarily, but one of the whole plant.
Thanks!

They start out looking like stunted cones, but as the flower matures the cones will elongate. It's fascinating to see.

Now where did I put my Mexican Hat????? Hope I don't pull it out later! I think I just got my tiny ones in----or maybe they are still in the jug. Sorry, just rambling.

I just looked up this plant which I've always been interested in. I see some of you in zone 6 are growing it, but do you bring it inside during the winter? Isn't this a warm weather perennial? How do you care for it inside the house when the snow falls? Do you treat as a houseplant or tuck away in a deep dark corner?

Full of questions about it!

I love mexican hat! Ratibida. It's a hardy perennial for me, but as Trudi says, they can be short lived. I think my first plants lasted 3-4 years. And... year three was incredible - huge 4 inch cones. The yellow version has smaller flowers and the midget has fatter cones. Grow them just like you grow Gaillardia. I will have a ton of seed by August.

I was hoping you would chime in, bakemom. I sowed them last year (newbie) after reading so many of your posts extolling the virtues of Mexican hat. You were right on the money about this plant. I'm sorry they are short lived, but they produce so many seeds and are so easy to collect, I hope to always have them. The yellow version and midget version sound interesting, and you've piqued my interest to try those, too.

I noticed mine were tall in the 2nd and 3rd years where they were growing with taller plants like Blue Flax, Little Bluestem/Big Bluestem grasses, Black-eyed Susan's, ect in my prairie bed. Contrary to that the ones which had more open space around them were 2' max. Some of these were self-sown into the gravel road that borders the outside.
Here's a few pics from last year and 2005...
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Very pretty, Vera! How big do your blue flax get? I WSed some this year and I'm wondering if my placement might not be the best.

Karen

This will be my 2nd year for Mexican Hat, but first year for the plant. It was w/s - and last year's were grown in a window box, and not kept. This year's are in the ground, so will be happy to see them grow bigger each year. Guess I'd better plan on a few more w/s each year in same area, so when the 1st ones die out, others will be there to replace them.

The burgundy gaillardia I w/s last year are already in bloom, and between 18"-24" tall. Almost "weeded" them, before I remembered what had been planted there last summer. In close area, also have some plants blooming that I don't know what they are. Never found out last year - but they're doing great.

Anyone know about Maltese Cross? I w/s some this year and have them in the ground just a few feet from the Mexican Hat. About how big should I expect them to get?

Thanks Karen...

Blue Flax around gets to about 3' tall and about 2.5 wide maybe even 3 at peak bloom!

bulbs, I did Maltese cross last year and this year they are I'd say about 2 to 2.5 feet tall...just starting to bloom over the last week.

My Burgundy Gaillardia is also just about to bloom. I really like it except it does grow a little lanky...taller flowering stems then my common Gaillardia sp. which is pretty compact. I noticed the burgundy gave me lots of self-sown babies this year too!

Vera

After three beautiful years of blooming...my Mexican Hat didn't come back this year. I didn't realize it is short lived. I miss it!!!!!

Unless you deadheaded at the end of the year, keep an eye out for self-sown babies. I started with about 3 plants and now have about 13 or more....haven't looked for babies out in the prairie bed yet this spring, but I can count on finding some!

Vera

Karen....

Here's a pic of a Blue Flax....there were 3 in this bed, but I've already cut back the other two so smaller plants could get their sun too :D

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Vera

Beverly, we will fix your problem.