Orange Coneflower

Description

Botanical Name:  Rudbeckia fulgida

Common Name:  Orange Coneflower, Orange Rudbeckia, Perennial Black-Eyed Susan

Description:  Orange Coneflower is a beautiful, easy to grow Florida native perennial wildflower. Despite its common name, the flowers can be orange or yellow. They are daisy-like flowers that have a brownish-purple center that first mature in early summer and continue into the fall. This plant quickly grows 2 to 3 ‘ tall. A rosette of leaves that originate at the base of the stem persists through the winter, creating an attractive winter ground cover. Leave the seed heads on as a winter food source for the birds. Deer resistant. Makes a good cut flower. Orange Coneflower thrives in any soils except soggy soils. It does best in sun to part sun but tolerates partial shade. It also bears up under hot, humid summers and, once established, will tolerate some drought. The plant spreads by underground stems called rhizomes to form large clumps. Propagation can be done by division in the spring or fall, or it can be propagated by seed. It is great in perennial beds, backgrounds, in pollinator gardens, in naturalized areas, and borders. Staking may be required for large heads. It does best planted in mass and mixed with other medium tall wildflowers and native grasses.

Orange Coneflower provides nectar for pollinators. It is a larval host plant to Wavy-lined Emerald (Synchlora aerata) and to Silvery Checkerspot (Chlosyne nycteis). Songbirds, especially American goldfinches, eat the seeds in the fall. It is a wildlife food source. It has special value to bees, including Leafcutter Bees, Long-Horned Bees, and Sweat Bees.

Its native habitat is open woods, meadows, and pastures.

Parts of this plant have medicinal value.

Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray.

This plant in 1-gallon containers is 8-15″ tall.

Plant Lore: This plant was selected as the 1988 North Carolina Wildflower of the Year.

Florida Hardiness Zones 8 – 9