Three different Rudbeckias are in full bloom in our yard on the Northern Plains USDA (4-5a). They are loosely called Black-eyed Susans and are showy this season.
The Rudbeckia hirta L. has a black disk and yellow-ray flower and was established about 4 years. A few plants don’t break dormancy in the spring. The sunny color and mounding habit fit well in this section of the elongated raised bed.
Rudbeckia hirta ‘Indian Summer’ perennials are nearing three feet in height in their second year. The cultivar was an All-American Selection Award winner in 1995. It tolerates low moisture, and the foliage turns reddish-brown in early fall. Plants grow well close together, a characteristic needed for container plants. This is one of the Rudbeckias commonly selected in prairie restoration.
Rudbeckia triloba ‘Prairie Glow’ is in its second season. The multi-branched, herbaceous plant is about three feet tall.
The Rudbeckia ‘Prairie Glow’ flowers are much smaller than the other examples but are exceptionally detailed when you look at the flowers. They change color as they mature.
These 3 Rudbeckia examples continue to bloom into September. They grow with minimal care and average water needs once established. Pollinators are attracted to the ray flowers. Generally, they are deer and rabbit resistant. The plants form a mound or grow well close to each other. They perform well in containers, raised beds, or in-ground. Rudbeckias are showy in a small group specimen planting or in a large group as waves of color. Large cut flowers last in bouquets.
Rudbeckias include several species and cultivars with their own features and some have been cultivated several centuries. Along with cone flowers, they are members of the Asteraceae family. Rudbeckias are commonly short-lived perennials; some self-seed, if spent blooms can mature. Seeds of these photo examples are commercially available to start indoors, and starter plants are available.
Naturalist Carolus Linnaeus (1707-1778) named the Rudbeckia after a mentor, Olaf Rudbek, who recognized Carl’s talents early in his Swedish university studies and offered him a job as a university lecturer and botanic garden demonstrator. Linnaeus chose this genus to honor his mentor because the Rudbeckia flowers freely, the ray flowers appear as suns, and its perennial roots will be cultivated in distant lands.
Thanks for visiting the Plant Exchange blog today. We send wishes for success with your favorite flowers!
Plant Exchange Blog 