Rudbeckia, also known as Black-Eyed Susan, is a showy, summer-blooming herbaceous perennial suitable for the sunny gardens, adding bright, long-lasting color to any perennial gardens. Plants make a bushy, upright clump with daisy-like flowers with golden yellow petals and brown or green centers that are either domed or flat. A perfect choice for mass planting, looks good in flower beds and meadow gardens and shorter forms do well in planters, attractive to birds, bees and butterflies, Rudbeckia combines well especially with ornamental grasses. The long, strong stems make Rudbeckia an excellent flower for cutting and also a good dried flower so you can enjoy them indoors as well as out in your garden
Rudbeckia have a long blooming period from early summer to frost. This makes them an invaluable addition to the late summer garden. Dead-heading or cutting back faded flowers regularly will encourage the plant to re-bloom later in the season. Seedheads are good for winter interest, if you choose to keep them, and are also a good food for the birds. Rudbeckia self-sows freely, so deadhead if you do not want volunteer seedlings next season.
Plant Rudbeckia in full sun in well-drained soil. It will thrive in all but soggy soil. Some species prefer soil that is fertile and moist while others will grow in drier soil but all prefer well-drained soil. Rudbeckia also likes full sun and thrive well when planted where they can get full sun all day.
Add a light application of organic fertilizer to the planting hole. Set plants 30 cm apart and place them into the planting hole no deeper than they were when growing in containers. Mulch around but not on top of plants with 3 inches of organic compost. Water well until soil is completely moist.
Rudbeckia are not moisture lovers therefore they are ideal plants for xeriscaping. They will hold up well during periods of drought with little watering.
For propagation, plants may be easily divided in early spring or fall, when the plants are in their dormant period. Divide clumps when they become too crowded, usually every few years.
An other way of propagation is by sowing seeds. Sow seeds directly outdoors in fall or in spring after the last frost, in vented containers, coldframe or unheated greenhouse in winter, or indoors before the last frost. Seeds sown in containers should not be planted too deeply because they need light to germinate. Seeds will germinate in approximately 20 days at 21 Celsius degrees (70 F) and the plants take up to 20 weeks to flower when started from seeds. Seedlings grown from seeds can be transplanted in seven days. Rudbeckia transplants well if kept moist until re-established. When transplanting large clumps divide before replanting.
