Mohr’s coneflower
By LYNN ARTZ, SANDY TEDDER and DAVID RODDENBERRY
Mohr’s coneflower (Rudbeckia mohrii) is a wetland wildflower found almost exclusively in the Florida panhandle. Like most black-eyed susans, it has bright yellow, daisy-like flowers with chocolate-colored centers. However, it is the only one to have grass-like leaves and a tall leafless (or nearly leafless) flower stalk. Also called grassy coneflower, this short-lived perennial grows to about 4 feet tall and blooms in late summer to fall. It is found in sunny open wetlands such as wet meadows and the edges of marshes and swamps, areas that are very wet to shallowly inundated during the summer rainy season. Mohr’s coneflower attracts numerous pollinating insects such as butterflies, moths, bees, wasps, and flies. Small birds often harvest the seeds. Mohr’s coneflower is blooming now in the pond at Sopchoppy Depot Park.
