Rudbeckia hirta 'Sonora' has a wide mahogany band around its pronounced black eye. 'Sonora grows to about 2' and always reminds me of a short sunflower..
Hopefully the stunnning Rudbeckias in this photo gallery have convinced you to give Black-eyed Susans another look. I've already mentioned how long-blooming and easy care Rudbeckia are, but there are lots of other reasons to make at least 1 Rudbeckia a garden staple.
- They're attractive to bees and butterflies
- Birds, especially finches and chickadees, love the seeds during winter.
- Rudbeckia naturalize easily
- The golden yellow and orange colors bring out the blues and purples of other prairie flowers.
- Rudbeckia make great cut flowers.
- The seed heads dry well, for arrangements
- The petals are perfect for "He loves me. He loves me not."
Here's more on how to grow Rudbeckia.