About
This short-lived perennial, usually grown as an annual, to 45cm in height with bristly stems and lance-shaped leaves. Flowerheads appear from mid to late summer. The classic daisy flowerheads have bicoloured ray florets, each with a brown base and middle changing to yellow at their tips, clustered around a dark-brown cone of disc florets.
About the genus
Rudbeckia may be annuals, biennials or rhizomatous herbaceous perennials, with simple or pinnately divided leaves and large daisy-like flower-heads with yellow or orange rays surrounding a prominent conical disk
Growing conditions
SunlightFull sun, Partial shade
Soil typeClay, Loam
Soil pHAcid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil moistureMoist but well-drained
AspectSouth-facing, West-facing
ExposureExposed, Sheltered
UK hardinessH3
Plant details
Plant typeAnnual Biennial
HabitColumnar upright
FoliageDeciduous
Height0.5-1 metres
Spread0.1-0.5 metres
Time to full height1-2 years
Suggested usesCottage and informal garden, Wildflower meadow
Care notes
CultivationBest grown as a half-hardy annual. Grows well in moderately fertile, preferably heavy but well-drained soil in full sun or partial shade
PruningDeadhead spent flowers
PropagationPropagate by seed sown with gentle heat in spring
Pest resistanceGenerally pest-free
Disease resistanceMay be susceptible to grey moulds if air circulation is poor