Coneflowers are a popular part of native wildflower gardens, or bird and wildlife gardens, because of their large, golden blooms. With careful deadheading, blooms will last for weeks during the summer months.
Cultivation Information and How to Grow Rudbeckia
Botanical and Common Name: Rudbeckia is often called coneflower plant, but that isn’t the same thing as purple coneflower, a similar looking plant with the scientific name of Echinacea. Rudbeckia hirta is often known as black-eyed Susan or ox-eyed daisy.
Plant Category: Coneflower is an herbaceous perennial plant.
Bloom Time and Color: Coneflower plants bloom in the summer months and have golden yellow flowers.
Foliage: Rudbeckia can suffer from powdery mildew if over crowded or not kept in full sun areas. The leaves are lance-shaped and fuzzy.
Growth Habit: Rudbeckia is a weedy, upright growing plant with multiple flowering stems.
Dimensions: Coneflowers can grow anywhere from 18 inches to 3 feet tall and 1-2 feet wide.
Maintenance: Some varieties may need staking, although modern cultivars have sturdier stems than some of the original species cultivars. Deadheading can help extend the blooming season.
Pests or Diseases: Goldfinches love the seeds of coneflower blossoms in the fall and if gardeners allow the last blooms to go to seed birds will find the garden. Most gardeners consider this a benefit however. Powder mildew is the biggest problem for black-eyed Susans.
Propagation Methods: While Rudbeckia will set seed and easily adds seedling volunteers to the garden, most cultivars will not come true from seed. Gardeners may prefer to plant seeds in early spring, or purchase bedding plants from garden nurseries in the spring.
Using Rudbeckia in the Garden
Preferred Conditions: Rudbeckia tolerates average soil conditions very well, but does best in rich, fertile soil and full sun. Coneflowers will do well in most garden landscape conditions except wet, boggy soil. They also need full sun to bloom their best so gardeners should give their black-eyed Susans plenty of sunshine each day.
Companion Plants: Black-eye Susan’s go well with other daisy-like plants such as Echinacea and Osteospermum. Or landscape designers can contrast the large, yellow flowers with plants that produce smaller blooms such as liatris, gladiolus, and asters.
Seasons of Interest: Rudbeckia has green foliage spring through first frost of winter, and blooms mid-summer through frost.
Uses in the Garden: Black-eyed Susan has been a traditional part of informal, cottage gardens, but also makes a great addition to native, wildflower gardens. The flowers attract butterflies and the seedheads attract birds, especially goldfinches.
There are many varieties and named cultivars of coneflower plants to allow gardeners to grow them in almost any gardening situation.
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