Prairie dock is a native wildflower in the aster family and grows along roads and railways in addition to prairies in the central states of Michigan south to Missouri. It grows 3- 10 feet high and produces 2-3-inch yellow sunflower-like flowers in July-September. The leaves are rough and oriented vertically and in a north-south direction. The taproot is very long, reaching down to 14 feet. Native bees pollinate this plant and use it for nesting materials and even nest beneath it, making it a good plant for attracting bees to the area. It prefers dry to moist loamy well-drained soils but is adaptable to rocky or clay soils in full sun. Use in the back of the border or naturalized and native plant areas. It tends to develop slowly at first but is long-lived and hardy.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Shallow Rocky
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry
NC region
Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 4 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in. | Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect
Texture
Coarse
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Rosulate
Leaf shape
Cordate; Ovate
Leaf margin
Dentate; Serrate
Leaf feel
Rough
Leaf value
Showy
Leaf size
> 6 inches long, > 6 inches wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Large oval or heart-shaped dock-like leaves near the base of the plant are up to 18 inches long and 12 inches wide. Margins serrate or dentate. Under surface light green with hairs.
Flower color
Gold/Yellow
Flower value
Long Bloom Season; Showy
Flower form
Head; Panicle
Flower shape
Radial
Flower size
1-3 inches
Flower detail
2-3 inch sunflower-like flowers with yellow rays and center discs in loose clusters.
Bloom time
Fall
Fruit type
Achene
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
The flattened achenes are light and can be carried by the wing
Stem color
Green; Red/Burgundy
Stem detail
The stem is green or reddish and nearly leafless rising up to 10 feet tall with branching near the end.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
Central USA
Wildlife value
Attracts bees and birds will eat the seeds
Attracts
Bees; Songbirds
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Fall
Fruit type
Achene
Uses (ethnobotany)
Native Americans made tea from the roots. Smoke from the plant was used to relieve congestion
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Meadow; Naturalized Area; Recreational Play Area
Landscape theme
Children's Garden; Cottage Garden; Drought Tolerant Garden; Garden for the Blind; Native Garden