Lesser-Known Rudbeckia

I've done a 180-degree flip when it comes to Rudbeckia. At one time, it was the main feature in my late-summer garden. Then, cheerful though it was, I got tired of it and decided I wanted to favour flowers with cool shades of pink, purple and blue. So I ripped out most of the Rudbeckia and planted things like Veronica and Catmint.

I don't regret giving Catmint or Veronica more play in my garden, but I found myself missing the Rudbeckia. Like Phlox, Sunflowers and Echinacea, it is a quintessential late-summer flower. The bright yellow flowers look great mixed with purple Phlox and pink Echinacea.

With this change of heart, I find myself reconsidering the many different types of Rudbeckia.

Before we take a look at some of the more unusual types of Rudbeckia, I think it's worth a quick look at the tried and true. One of the most popular is Rudbeckia fulgida 'Goldstrum'.

Rudbeckia fulgida 'Goldstrum' has golden-yellow flowers with a black centre. It will easily grow in average garden soil. It likes sun but appreciates a little light afternoon shade. Removing spent flowers will prolong the display of blooms into the autumn. This perennial has a slow spreading habit but is easy to remove where unwanted. Height: 60-75 cm ( 23-29 inches), Spread: 45-60 cm (18-23 inches). USDA zones: 3-9.

There is also a more compact version available:

Rudebckia fulgida 'Little Goldstar' was bred to be an improvement on 'Goldstrum'. It blooms profusely on a smaller plant that stands just 14-16 inches tall. It's an easy-to-grow perennial that will prosper in average garden soil with normal moisture conditions. Height: 35-40 cm (14-16 inches), Spread: 35-40 cm (14-16 inches). USDA zones: 4-9.

While this is a cute little Rudbeckia, in my opinion, it does not have quite the same bright punch as 'Goldstrum'. The yellow petals of 'Little Goldstar' are smaller and the dark centre is more dominant.



And finally, there is Rudbeckia hirta. These are short-lived perennials that bloom in the first year from seed that was sown in the early spring. Often you'll see them sold as annuals to brighten up fall container plantings. Rudbeckia hirta is easily grown in average garden soil. They like full sun and moist, free-draining soil. 

Now let's look at a few of the more unusual Rubdeckia starting with a couple of tall perennials:

Rudbeckia pinnata growing in the Lucy Maud Montgomery Memorial Garden.

Drooping Coneflower or Grey-headed Coneflower, Rudbeckia pinnata has yellow petals that hang down and an erect brown cone. This plant has long flower stems and hairy, divided basal leaves. It likes rich, moist, but well-drained soil. Full sun. Height: 2-5 ft (50-150 cm), Spread: 2ft (45 cm). USDA zones: 3-10.

Rudbeckia Maxima

Rudbeckia Maxima is a native of the Southern U.S. It has really interesting grey-blue foliage and tall brown-eyed daisies that don't require staking. This perennial grows in average garden soil in full sun. It too prefers soil conditions to be on the moist side. Height is a whopping 150-240 cm (59-94 inches), Spread: 60-90 cm (23-35 inches). USDA Zones: 4-9.

Rudbeckia subtomentosa 'Little Henry'

The next two Rudbeckia I want to show you are shorter but are still quite tall and upright.

Rudbeckia fulgida 'Goldstrum'

So often you see closeups of flowers when a plant is profiled, but I really think it is important to consider the size and shape of a plant when you're doing your planning. 

Rudbeckia fulgida 'Goldstrum' is a round, bushy plant. In contrast Rudbeckia subomentosa 'Henry Eilers'  and Rudbeckia subtomentosa 'Little Henry' are upright and narrow.

Rudbeckia subomentosa 'Henry Eilers'. Lucy Maud Montgomery Memorial Garden

Rudbeckia subtomentosa 'Henry Eilers' has flowers with narrow yellow petals with dark brown centres. The foliage apparently has a light vanilla scent. Full sun with a bit of light afternoon shade. Height: 120-180 cm (47-70 inches) Spread: 60-90 cm (23-35 inches) USDA Zones: 4-9.

Rudbeckia subtomentosa 'Little Henry' is very similar to 'Henry Eilers', but is shorter.

Rudbeckia subtomentosa 'Little Henry'

Rudbeckia subtomentosa 'Little Henry' is a tall, upright plant with quilled yellow flowers with brown centres. 'Little Henry' blooms from midsummer into fall and is attractive to butterflies. It will grow in a range of soils types and tolerates moist to fairly dry growing conditions. Full sun or light shade. Height: 80-90 cm (30-35 inches) Spread: 55-60 cm (20-23 inches) USDA Zones: 4-9.

This next Rudbeckia has become my new favourite. Not everyone shares my good opinion–many would describe Rudbeckia triloba as a weedy native plant. It's a short-lived perennial (annual in my garden) that you might see growing wild along roadsides, in damp woods and along streams. 

What I think is charming about this Brown-eyed Susan are the flowers. The yellow petals are shorter and less pointy than those of Rudbeckia 'Goldstrum'. This makes for a smaller, rounder flower and more dainty bloom.

This is just one single plant!

Rudbeckia triloba is a short-lived perennial that is native to much of Eastern North America. It tolerates light shade and is easily grown in average, moist, well-drained soil. Deadhead the flowers to encourage new flowers and to prevent unwanted seedlings. Attractive to butterflies. Full morning sun with some light afternoon shade is ideal. Height: 75-100 cm (29-39 inches), Spread: 60-75 cm (23-29 inches). USDA zones: 4-8.

My front garden.

Looking along the front of the garden you can see hints of the yellow Rudbeckia flowers. 

Monarda in the foreground.

Rudbeckia triloba is a tall plant with an umbrella shape. One of the unexpected things I like about this Rudbeckia is the contrast of its green foliage with the dark, reddish-brown stems. 

Originally I had it planted in the back garden, but last fall I spread some seeds in the front yard as well. It now adds a little sparkle of yellow in among the pink and purple Phlox. 

Grange Hollow Nursery 

One of the best ways to grow tall Rudbeckia triloba is amongst other plants it can lean on. In this example, it was grown alongside Mountain Fleeceflower, Persicaria.

My backyard garden.

This next Rudbeckia becomes a bit of a tangled mess, but the mix of colors is very striking. It's another type of Rudbeckia triloba and has a similar umbrella of flowers.

Rudbeckia triloba 'Prairie Glow' has bi-color blooms. It is a short-lived perennial with a tendency to liberally reseed itself. It is easy to grow in average or moist, well-drained soil. It's tall, and a bit floppy, so it is good to give it some support (or grow it next to a plant it can lean on). Full sun. Height: 90-120 cm ( 36-48 inches), Spread: 60-90 cm (24-36 inches) . USDA Zones 3-10.

Rudbeckia triloba 'Prairie Glow' offers a nice contrast between its bright green leaves and its deep purple stems. This too is a short-lived perennial that reseeds itself. To contain the spread of seedlings, I chop off the flowers as soon as they have set seed. Then I sprinkle the seeds over the surface of the ground in the fall. 

If you like order and hate unwanted seedlings, this might not be the plant for you.

Companion Plants

Rudbeckia with Echinacea and Russian Sage in the Lucy Maud Montgomery Memorial Garden.

Rudbeckia looks great with a whole range of late-summer perennials including Phlox, Echinacea, Russian Sage, Helenium and ornamental grasses. 

 Rudbeckia with ornamental grasses in the Lucy Maud Montgomery Memorial Garden. 

 Rudbeckia with Helenium (foreground orange), Russian Sage and Pink Phlox.

Public park in Brampton.

Rudbeckia with Phlox and Daylilies

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The Daisy-Type Flowers of Mid to Late Summer (Along with some of their Best Friends)

"I will go pick daisies and have a happy heart." Kimber Annie Engstrom 

What would high summer be without some daisy-type flowers? They are pure happiness atop a flower stem! Mid to late summer offers a wide range of this simple flower shape. Let's take a look at a few of them.

This is my front garden back in 2013. I used to have loads of yellow Rudbeckia along the fence back then. 

I pulled half of it out looking to add room for early summer flowers, but now that I reflect back at this glorious August display, I am now rather sorry to have been quite so ruthless. Perhaps it is better to shine for a brief time than to look mediocre over the long haul of a gardening season! Sometimes we gardeners have to learn by making mistakes. Now, I'm thinking of swinging back the other way and restoring some of the Rudbeckia.

Yellow Rudbeckia, Pink colored Zinnias, Sweet Potato Vine and blue 

colored Floss Flower, Ageratum in a public park.

Floss Flower, Ageratum

Rudbeckia also looks great mixed in with annuals as you see here in this display at a local park. As with most plants you need a big patch of each type of flower to really have an impact.

I have two Rudbeckia cultivars to recommend you might try.

It wasn't labelled but, I am going to guess that this is the popular Rudbeckia 'Goldstrum'.

Rudbeckia 'Goldstrum' has golden-yellow flowers with a black centre. It will easily grow in average garden soil. It likes sun but is also happy in light shade. Removing spent flowers will prolong the display of blooms into the autumn. This perennial has a slow spreading habit but is easy to remove where unwanted. Height: 60-75 cm ( 23-29 inches), Spread: 45-60 cm (18-23 inches). USDA zones: 3-9.

Rudbeckia 'Little Goldstar' was bred to be an improvement on 'Goldstrum'. It blooms profusely on a more compact plant that stands just 14-16 inches tall. It's an easy-to-grow perennial that will prosper in average garden soil with normal moisture conditions. Height: 35-40 cm (14-16 inches), Spread: 35-40 cm (14-16 inches). USDA zones: 4-9.

Echinacea at the Toronto Botanical Gardens.

Echinacea are butterfly magnets. They are also one of those perennials that the plant industry has bred into a zillion different color and flower forms. If you ask me, some of the older cultivars are still the best and most reliable plants, but here are a few of the newer cultivars to tempt you:

Echinacea in the Landscape Ontario Garden.

Echinacea Sombrero 'Adobe Orange' (top left) has overlapping orange petals and a rusty-red cone. It was bred to produce lots of flowers on a compact, sturdy plant. Average garden soil and moisture conditions are fine for this Echinacea. Full sun. Height: 60-65 cm ( 23-25 inches), Spread: 40-45 cm (16-18 inches). USDA zones: 5-9.

Echinacea 'Supreme Cantaloupe' (top right) As its name suggests, this echinacea has cantaloupe-colored petals with rosy-red ray petals at the centre of the flower. Full sun. Height: 55-65 cm (21-25 inches), Spread: 35-40 cm (14-16 inches). USDA zones: 4-9.

Echinacea Sombrero 'Kim's Knee High' (bottom centre) has coral-pink petals with an orange cone. This Echinacea has a compact, bushy habit making it perfect for the front of any flower bed. Full sun. Height: 45-60 cm (18-23 inches), Spread: 30-60 cm (12-23 inches). USDA zones: 4-9.

Sunflowers are synonymous with late summer. They are annuals but, they are such great self-seeders once you grow them, you almost always have them in your garden. 

Plant sunflowers for the birds. Goldfinches and little chick-a-dees adore eating the seeds.

And as an added bonus, sunflowers make great cut flowers!

Helenium and other perennials in a local park.

To be honest, I've struggled a little with this next plant. Where do you place a perennial that comes in such vivid shades of red, orange and yellow? I am still searching for the perfect place to relocate my Helenium to set it off to best advantage.

Perhaps the answer to that ideal spot lies in this next picture.

Heleniums seem to look great against a golden backdrop. That background could be created with an ornamental grass or maybe a non-invasive form of goldenrod. In this image, Helenium is paired with the yellow foliage of a Sumac.

Helenium 'Short 'n' Sassy'(on the left) This compact variety of helenium has orange and gold petals with a deep brown centre. Full sun and moist soil are best. Height: 30-45 cm (12-18 inches), Spread: 40-50 cm (16-20 inches). USDA Zones: 4-9.

Helenium autumnale Mariachi 'Fuego' (on the right) is another compact variety of helenium. 'Fuego' has orange-red petals and a golden halo around a deep, coffee-colored centre. Full sun and moist soil are best. Height: 40-50 cm (16-20 inches), Spread: 50-60 cm (20-30 inches). USDA Zones: 3-9.

(Here is a link to an English website that will give you a good idea of the tremendous range of Helenium cultivars that are available.)

Blue salvia mixing nicely with Rudbeckia in a local public park.

Salvia farinacea 'Victoria Blue' is an annual you can find at almost any garden centre.

Rudbeckia hirta 

A few brief words on different varieties of Rudbeckia hirta. These are short-lived perennials that are often treated as annuals. They will sometimes survive a few winters but are more likely to live on by self-seeding.

Rudbeckia hirta 'Denver Daisy' at the Guelph trial garden.

Rudbeckia hirta 'Denver Daisy'

Rudbeckia hirta 'Denver Daisy' has golden-yellow daisies with a red eye and a black cone. It is fairly drought tolerant once established. Full sun. Height: 45-50 cm (18-20 inches), Spread: 30-45 cm (12-18 inches). USDA Zones: 5-9.

Rudbeckia hirta 'Toto Gold'

As well as the taller cultivars, there some more compact varieties of Rudbeckia hirta as well. Rudbeckia hirta 'Toto Gold' and Rudbeckia hirta 'Toto Lemon' are two good examples.

Donna's garden in Halifax, Nova Scotia

Pale yellow Coreopsis edges the flagstone pathway in my friend Donna's garden. It's a dainty little daisy-type flower that blooms for ages. Donna tells me she sheers her plants in mid to late July to encourage a fresh round of blooms.

Coreopsis verticillata 'Moonbeam' has soft yellow flowers and fine, ferny foliage. It tolerates heat and humidity well making it a good choice for edging a sunny border. Full sun. Height: 30-45 cm (12-18 inches), Spread: 30-45 cm (12-18 inches). USDA Zones: 4-9.

Coreopsis verticillata 'Moonbeam'

Coreopsis is yet another plant with many variations on a color theme. It is important to note that not all of the new cultivars are as hardy and as reliable as older varieties like 'Moonbeam'. Many of are sterile, so they won't even reseed themselves. 

My advice is to confirm the hardiness zone on the plant tag before you make your purchase. If the cultivar in question isn't hardy in your area, think of it as an annual. Here are just a few of the many new cultivars available:

Big Bang Coreopsis 'Star Cluster' (top left) has creamy white daisies that sometimes develop a maroon-purple eye. 'Star Cluster' forms an upright mound of fine, narrow foliage. Plants may require some support if grown in good garden soil. Full sun and average moisture conditions. Height: 45-60 cm (18-23 inches), Spread: 45-60 cm (18-23 inches). USDA Zones: 4-9.

Coreopsis Leading Lady 'Lauren' (top right) has single yellow flowers. It was bred to be floriferous, mildew resistant, cold and heat tolerant. 'Lauren' also blooms earlier than most Coreopsis. Full sun and average moisture conditions. Height: 45-60 cm (18-23 inches), Spread: 30-40 cm (12-16 inches). USDA Zones: 5-9.

Coreopsis 'Dream Catcher' has cool pink daisies with a maroon eye. Full sun and average moisture conditions. This variety is hardier than most pink forms. Full sun. Height: 30-45 cm (12-18 inches), Spread: 45-60 cm (18-23 inches). USDA Zones: 5-9.

Annual Zinnias make great companions for late summer daisies and grasses.

Zinnias in a local public park.

Gaillardia bloom for such an extended period in the summer, I regret not having any in my garden. There are many color variations available these days. They like hot, sunny sights and are drought tolerant once established. Dry conditions and normal or sandy soil are best. Here are just three:

Gaillardia aristata 'Arizona Sun' (top left) has orange-red flower petals with yellow tips. Full sun. Height: 20-30 cm (8-12 inches), Spread: 30-40 cm (12-16 inches). USDA zones: 2-9.

Gaillardia aristata 'Arizona Red Shades' (top right) has orange-red flowers. Full sun. Height: 25-30 cm (10-12 inches), Spread: 25-30 cm (10-12 inches). USDA zones: 3-9.

Gaillardia x grandiflora Mesa 'Yellow' (bottom centre) has solid yellow petals and a large golden eye. Full sun. Height: 40-45 cm (18-23 inches), Spread: 40-45 cm (18-23 inches). USDA zones: 4-9.

These pictures have been pulled from a wide range of gardens. It just goes to show you how versatile daisy-type flowers can be.

I hope you have found a little inspiration for your garden in my many examples.

P.S. The latest book winner will be announced shortly!

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