Cutleaf coneflower leaves. Photo: Nadia Navarrete-Tindall
Cutleaf coneflower breakfast casserole

By Nadia Navarrete-Tindall
Dr. Nadia Navarrete-Tindall, the Specialty Crops Director at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, MO, is an advisor to the Grow Native! program, and owns Native Plants and More, a consultation business. She lives in Columbia, MO and is originally from El Salvador.
Cutleaf coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata) is a native plant that provides edible leaves. The leaves have a sweet and mild taste that can be used in recipes to replace spinach or other mild-flavored greens. It has been used by the Cherokee, who call it sochan.
Cutleaf coneflower is in the sunflower family and is a perennial plant that starts sprouting in early spring and can reach up to 9 feet. According to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, it is very common in Missouri and is widespread across the United States and Canada. It naturally grows in the shade, but will also grow in full sun. In gardens can be established under the deep shade of trees or on the north side of buildings.
Cutleaf coneflower is also known by the common name goldenglow*, which refers to the fact that the flowers that bloom in the fall are bright yellow and seem to glow, even in deep shade. It is also called cow’s parsley and tall coneflower.
Cutleaf coneflower can be harvested from March through May. Leaves can be blanched and frozen, up to a year, for later use.
The Cherokee and other Southeastern nations have collected wild greens like cutleaf coneflower generation after generation; however, most of the knowledge, as often happens with other wild native foods, is being lost as these are replaced by other foods. Fortunately, cutleaf coneflower, among other spring greens, is foraged and consumed widely. In North Carolina, the Cherokee Preservation Foundation is leading a statewide effort to restore this disappearing tradition. Concerns of overharvesting have been discussed, as with other wild edibles such as wild leeks; however, a study by Dr. Joe-Ann McCay of the NC Arboretum has shown that cutleaf coneflower is easy to grow from seed or by division, which reduces harvest pressure on wild plants.
The tender new leaves taste better than older leaves. Start harvesting leaves in the spring and if you want to promote new growth and more harvests, the plants can be pruned through mid-June. After the inflorescence develops in early fall, basal leaves can be harvested again. New leaves can be eaten raw and added in salads. In the summer the flavor is stronger. We have cutleaf coneflower and many other native edibles growing at the Lincoln University Finca EcoFarm in Jefferson City.
The leaves remain green as a source for winter food for white-tailed deer and the occasional rabbit. In the wild, it can be found in open bottomlands or in riparian corridors along rivers or large creeks.
See the recipe for cutleaf coneflower breakfast casserole, prepared and served for brunch at various events organized by Lincoln University and collaborators.
*Note, “Goldenglow” and “Golden Glow” are also used as cultivar names for various plants.

Rudbeckia laciniata
Ingredients:
6 eggs
1 cup milk
3 cups cutleaf coneflower greens, finely chopped. Use fresh, uncooked leaves or blanched leaves.
If frozen cutleaf coneflower is used, thaw it for one hour before using.
1 cup shredded mozzarella or cheddar cheese or queso fresco
¼ cup of wild leeks bulbs or ½ cup wild leeks leaves (use regular onions, if not available)
4 teaspoons olive oil
2 cups mushrooms minced or sliced.
1 cup red peppers, minced.
1 cup pork sausage cooked, in pieces (optional)
6 medium potatoes boiled and sliced.
Seasonings and herbs to taste.
Salt

Directions
1. Heat oil in large skillet on medium heat. Add greens, wild leeks, pepper and mushrooms.