Rudbeckia is popular with both the veteran gardener as well as the novice gardener.  Their colorful flowers and their toughness under adversity, earns them a four star rating. The bright flowers are ideal for bouquets, and the seed heads are a great addition to a dried flower arrangement. Once they begin to flower, they begin to bloom in late July and continues until the end of September. 

The primary reason for rudbeckias popularity is they are easy to grow.  They thrive in ordinary garden soil as long as they have full sun. Rudbeckia is a great choice for a water-wise landscape because they adapt easily to prairies and other dry conditions.

 The Tall and Short of Perennial Rudbeckias

Rudbeckia fulgido is native to the Southeast.  The cultivar Goldstrum is one of the most popular plants in cultivation – with good reason.  The dark green foliage contrasts beautifully with the 3 to 4 inch-wide deep yellow flowers.  The flowers have a nearly black cone in the center. Blooms are magnificent from late July until late September. Requires no staking!!!

 Rudbeckia hirta is considered to be an annual in the cold climate found in Montana and Wyoming. But in the PNW, with our mild winters, it is sold as a perennial. Here is a short list of popular cultivars: Goldilocks grows 24 to 30 inches tall and has semi-double golden yellow flowers; Irish Eyes only grows 8 to 10 inches tall and has an olive green eye surrounded by yellow-orange petals; Rustic Dwarf Hybrids are available many colors and grow 18 to 24 inches tall.

 Colorful Companion

To create a stunning water-wise garden vignette with lots of late summer color, I recommend the following companion plants for rudbeckias: Salvia ‘May Night’, Maiden Grass ‘Morning Light’, Fountain Grass ‘Hamlen’, Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’, Russian Sage, Coneflowers the ‘Big Sky Series’, and Asters the ‘Wood’s Series’.