This perennial herb is also known as Grayhead Coneflower, Pinnate Prairie Coneflower, and Yellow Coneflower. Its slender, hairy stems grow 3 to 5 feet tall, and are topped with bright yellow flowers with drooping petals and a grayish-brown central disk. This plant grows in full sun to partial shade, and in a wide variety of dry to moist soils, including sandy, clay, and calcareous soils.