Appearance
It is a robust herbaceous perennial growing up to 3 m tall. It has broadly ovate and somewhat glaucous leaves that are often deeply dissected. The composite flowers are produced in late summer and autumn. The disc flowers are green to yellowish green, while the rays are pale yellow.The specific epithet "laciniata" refers to the pinnately divided leaves.
Naming
Common names other than cutleaf coneflower include "cutleaf", "goldenglow", "green-headed coneflower", "tall coneflower", "sochan" and "thimbleweed".
Uses
Traditionally, the young leaves have been gathered from the wild and eaten in the early spring. They are greatly favored as a potherb. Though some references state the use of this plant as salad greens, traditional use is as cooked greens. This is assumed to be done to remove toxins. However, there is little evidence of their presence. One report cites circumstantial evidence of poisoning to horses, sheep and pigs.References:
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