Rudbeckia

( rud - BEK - ee - uh )

At-A-Glance Information

This genus of perennial and biennial flowering plants needs full sun and moderate to regular water. Their flowers will attract birds, butterflies, and other beneficial insects to your garden, making them a great choice for gardeners who love biodiversity. They have large, yellow flowers, and are easy to grow. Rudbeckia makes great cut flowers, and cutting them for this purpose will encourage more blooms to form. Blooms appear in summer and fall. 

Rudbeckia Species and Varietals

The genus Rudbeckia is a member of the plant family Asteraceae and includes around 25 species. Rudbeckia grows well in zones 1-24, though this varies depending on the species. For more information, see the descriptions below. To find your zone, click here: Zone Map.

Rudbeckia californica (California Coneflower)
These flowers are native to California and prefer to grow in moist habitats, like streambanks and meadows. The species forms an erect perennial plant with green basal foliage. Flowering stems support solitary yellow blooms with brown protruding centers. This species reaches between 3 and 6.5 feet tall when in bloom.

Rudbeckia fulgida (Orange Coneflower, Perennial Coneflower)
This perennial reaches 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide, and has branching stems and dark green, hairy foliage. Flowers are yellow with a dark central cone, and bloom in summertime. Varieties include 'Early Bird Gold' (with a longer blooming period than the species), and Rudbeckia fulgida sullivantii 'Goldsturm' (with yellow flowers that have black eyes on 2.5 foot tall stems).
Rudbeckia hirta (Gloriosa Daisy, Black-Eyed Susan, Black Betty, Golden Jerusalem, English Bull's Eye, Poor-Land Daisy, Yellow Daisy, Yellow Ox-Eye Daisy)
This species of is a biennial or short-lived perennial that is often grown as an annual. Flowers are orange-yellow and a prominent purple-black central cone. These flowers are known to attract bees. Varieties are outlined below:
'Indian Summer'
​Single to semidouble golden yellow flowers. 
'Irish Eyes' ('Green Eyes')
Yellow flowers with a green central cone. 
'Prairie Sun'
Golden yellow flowers with pale yellow tips and a light green central cone.
'Tiger Eye'
16-24 inch tall plant with profuse blooms.
'Denver Daisy'
2 feet tall and 18 inches wide.
'Cherokee Sunset'
2-2.5 feet tall with double or semi double blooms.
'Goldilocks'
Double blooms on a plant that reaches 8-10 inches tall.
'Toto'
8-10 inch tall plant.

Rudbeckia laciniata (Cut-Leaf Coneflower, Green Headed Coneflower, Goldenglow, Sochan, Thimbleweed)
This perennial can reach 10 feet tall and 4 feet wide, and has light green leaves. Blooms pop in summer and last through fall and are yellow with a light green cone. Varieties include 'Goldquelle' (with double blooms), 'Herbstsonne' (also called 'Autumn Sun', reaching 6 feet tall and 2 feet wide, with single flowers that are yellow with a green cone that matures to yellow).

Rudbeckia occidentalis (Western Coneflower)
This species of Coneflower is native to the northwestern United States, where it prefers to grow in moist habitats, such as meadows. These erect perennials form from a thick rhizome and produce an unbranched stem reaching about 6 feet tall when in bloom. Flowers are rayless, and centers are purple-brown, packed with small blooms. 

Rudbeckia fulgida (Orange Coneflower, Perennial Coneflower)
Native to eastern North America, these herbaceous perennials reach up to around 50 inches tall when in bloom, and produce bright yellow daisy-form flower heads. Leaves and stems are dark green and somewhat hairy. There are many subspecies with flowers in various colors, and there are also many varietals of this species. Choice garden selections include 'Goldsturm', 'Little Goldstar', and 'Pot of Gold'.

​​Rudbeckia triloba (Brown-Eyed Susan, Thin-Leaved Coneflower, Three-Leaved Coneflower)
This species is perennial and reaches 3-5 feet tall and 2.5 feet wide, with yellow flowers that have brown centers. They will reseed freely and will spread if allowed to do so. These plants are widely cultivated in gardens, and are easy to grow when provided with full sun and moist soil.

Caring for Rudbeckia

Plant Rudbeckia in a spot in the garden that gets full sun. They like to receive between 6 and 8 hours of sun each day, but can also handle partial shade. In warmer climates, make sure they get some late afternoon shade when temperatures are at their peak (typically between 2 and 3 PM). Ensure that soil is well-draining, moderately fertile, and with a pH of between 6.5 and 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral). If local soils are particularly poor in nutrients or do not drain well, make sure to amend the planting area with plenty of organic compost before installing. Apply a layer of mulch around the planting area to suppress weed growth, maintain consistent soil temperatures, and to increase soil moisture retention. Water new plantings regularly as they establish themselves in the landscape. At maturity, Rudbeckia plants are considered to be drought-resistant, able to get by on rainwater alone for most of the year with supplemental waterings during periods of dry weather. 

Fertilize yearly in early springtime with an application of 2 inches of compost around the base of plants. Pull mulch back before applying, work the compost gently into the soil a bit, water it in, and then replace mulch. These plants are not heavy feeders, and this should be sufficient to provide the necessary nutrients for the active growing and flowering seasons. Pruning is simple; remove any damaged, diseased, or dead foliage at any time during the growing season, and remove spent flowers to neaten up the appearance of plants and encourage reblooms. Divide Rudbeckias every few years when the plants become crowded and performance suffers. For instructions on how to successfully divide Rudbeckia plants, consult the Propagation section below.

Propagation

Rudbeckia, or Black Betty, can be propagated by division or seed. To ensure that your propagated plant will have the exact same qualities and characteristics as the parent plant, use the division method. If you would like to experiment and see what plant you can grow from seed, just keep in mind that it will not necessarily be the same as the parent plant, especially if you are propagating a hybrid cultivar. To propagate your Black Betty, follow the instructions below:

Propagating Rudbeckia by Seed
  1. Keep in mind that the plant you get from seed will not necessarily mimic all of the characteristics of the parent plant. To propagate by seed, you will need a paper bag, a pot or tray filled with well-draining compost or other organic material, a spray bottle and a fork. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together equal parts (by volume) moss peat and horticultural-grade sand or grit sand. You will also, after a few weeks, need individual 3-inch pots for each seedling that grows.
  2. Harvest your seeds. The seed heads on plants are pretty easy to spot, they're left behind after flowers have faded. Once they have dried out and begun to split open, you can harvest the seeds inside. Cut them off of the plant, placing them in a paper bag. Harvest as many as you can, and place the paper bag in a dry, cool, dark area. They will continue to split open and release the seeds contained inside. Once they have been released, take them out of the bag and put them in a container so you can work with them.
  3. Physostegia seeds will need a period of cold-stratification in order to germinate. To complete this process, first place seeds in a bag or other sealable container filled with moistened sand or peat moss. Then, place the container in the refrigerator (or similarly cool, dark space) for 2-3 months. The ideal temperature for cold-stratification is around 40 degrees Fahrenheit. After this period has passed, remove seeds from the container.
  4. Get your container prepared. Water your prepared seed tray or pot filled with soil, and ensure that good drainage is occurring. Place your seeds in your prepared pot or seed tray about a quarter inch to a half-inch under the soil surface. Cover them with soil and water with your spray bottle. Place your tray of seeds in a warm area that receives bright, indirect light. A greenhouse is the most ideal climate, but a planting tray inside a window will do as well. Germination usually takes 2-6 weeks from sowing. Once you begin to see seedlings sprout and they are able to be handled, transplant them to their own individual 3-inch pots, filled with the same potting medium as described in Step 1. Loosen the seedlings from the potting medium by digging down with the tines of your fork about an inch and a half, gently working the seedling up until it is out. Then, replant the seedling in its individual pot.
  5. Keep the seedling's potting medium moist, but not wet, by spraying the soil with your spray bottle. Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 65 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring (after the danger of frost has passed), when you can transplant it to its new home.

Propagating Rudbeckia by Division
This type of propagation is relatively simple; you will need a clean shovel, mulch, fresh soil (any kind will do, though it does need to be well-draining), compost and pots (only necessary if you will be saving divided plants for transporting elsewhere). Division is best done in very early spring (after the plant has entered dormancy, but before it has begun its new spring growth), and needs to be done every few years regardless of whether you have the goal of propagating the plants for best performance. To propagate by division, follow these steps:
  1. Using a shovel, dig up your existing plant. Start from the outside and work your way in to avoid damaging the root(s). Once you have worked it up out of the ground, lay it out.
  2. Start to tease apart the roots with your gloved fingers. Once the roots are untangled, separate your plant into segments, ensuring that each one has at least one thick root section attached.
  3. Prepare your pot(s) or new planting site(s) with amended, well-draining soil. You can either bring in new soil or simply amend your existing soil with compost to complete this task. Then, plant your divisions and water thoroughly.
  4. Apply a thick layer of mulch over the new planting to protect it from cold weather as it acclimates to its new home. Then, enjoy watching it sprout in the next growing season.
Rudbeckia seed heads.
Rudbeckia seeds are very small and black.

Problems and Pests

Rudbeckia ​plants can be susceptible to developing issues with the following pests and diseases in the landscape:
  • Fungal Leaf Spot
  • Powdery Mildew
  • Aphids
For more information on these pests and diseases, including how to treat and prevent them, consult the following pages:

Gallery

This pollinator bed features Rudbeckia.
Coneflower and Rudbeckia look great paired together.
Here, Rudbeckia is planted alongside Salvia, Gomphrena, and white-flowering Obedient Plant.
This informal garden is a perfect place for bright yellow Rudbeckia flowers to shine.
Rudbeckia produces daisy-form flowers, typically in shades of yellow or orange.
A Rudbeckia seedling.
Butterflies are drawn to the open-faced flowers of Rudbeckia plants.
This prairie-style landscape is dotted with the golden flowers of Black-Eyed Susan.
This pollinator bed features Rudbeckia, Russian Sage, and Gayfeather.
A fasciated Rudbeckia flower.
Rudbeckia plants can get relatively tall when in bloom.
Rudbeckia lends its colorful blooms to this monotone front garden.
This fall garden features Hosta, Rudbeckia, Yarrow, and Globe Amaranth.
A business park sign fronted with grasses and a row of Black Betty.
'Cherokee Sunset' features flowers that are orange with dark red-maroon centers.

Videos

Learn about these happy yellow bloomers.
How to grow Black Eyed Susan in the garden.

Resources

How to Grow Rudbeckia for Cut Flowers
Rudbeckia: Black-Eyed Susans Brighten the Late Summer Days
Growing Glorious Black-Eyed Susans
How to Grow and Care for Black-Eyed Susan
Wikipedia: Rudbeckia
The New Sunset Western Garden Book: The Ultimate Gardening Guide (2012) - Pages 579 - 580, Rudbeckia
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