Species Native to Missouri
Common Name: Appalachian black-eyed Susan
Type: Herbaceous perennial
Family: Asteraceae
Native Range: Eastern United States
Zone: 3 to 9
Height: 1.50 to 2.50 feet
Spread: 2.00 to 3.00 feet
Bloom Time: August to September
Bloom Description: Orange-yellow
Sun: Full sun
Water: Dry to medium
Maintenance: Low
Suggested Use: Rain Garden
Flower: Showy, Good Cut
Attracts: Birds, Butterflies
Tolerate: Deer, Drought, Clay Soil, Dry Soil, Urban Conditions
Culture
Easily grown in dry to medium, organically rich to average, well-drained soils in full sun. Best bloom occurs in full sun, although plants will tolerate some light shade. Plants prefer consistent moisture throughout the growing season, with some tolerance for drought once established. Good air circulation is appreciated. Deadhead spent flowers to encourage additional bloom. Plants slowly spread in the garden by rhizomes.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Rudbeckia fulgida is a herbaceous perennial native to the eastern United States which occurs in both dry and moist soils in open woods, glades and thickets. An upright, rhizomatous, clump-forming, free-blooming coneflower which typically grows to 3' tall, often forming colonies in the wild. Features daisy-like flowers (to 2.5" across) with yellow rays and brownish-purple center disks. Prolific bloom production over a long mid-summer to fall bloom period. Oblong to lanceolate, medium green foliage. Good cut flower. The flowers are attractive to butterflies and other insect pollinators. Birds eat the seeds.
Var. umbrosa is found in wet woods and bottomlands with a somewhat scattered distribution in the south-central United States from the Ozarks east to the Appalachian Mountains. It is one of two varietals of Rudbeckia fulgida native to Missouri, the other being var. sullivantii. This varietal has fewer ray florets (8-15) than sullivantii (10-21) and broader leaves that are entire to bluntly or less commonly sharply toothed. Its native range appears to be confined to the Ozarks but is more common in Missouri than var. sullivantii. The morphological characteristics distinguishing the accepted varietals of R. fulgida are quite variable both between and within populations.
Genus name honors Olof Rudbeck (1630-1702) Swedish botanist and founder of the Uppsala Botanic Garden in Sweden where Carl Linnaeus was professor of botany.
The specific epithet fulgida means "shining" or "glistening".
The infraspecific epithet umbrosa means "growing in shade" and most likely refers to the woodland habitats that this plant prefers.
Problems
No serious insect or disease problems, but aphids, powdery mildew, downy mildew, aster yellows, and leaf spot diseases can appear. Deer tend to avoid this plant.
Uses
Mass in bold drifts in the perennial border, cottage garden, meadow, rain garden, native plant garden or naturalized area. Provides excellent bloom and color for the late summer. Good cut flower.