Little Goldstar black-eyed Susan

Sun

Full sun is best; tolerates light partial shade but may flower less.

Water

Keep evenly moist while establishing. Once established, water during prolonged dry spells; flowering is best when the soil does not dry out completely.

Soil

Moderately fertile, moisture-retentive but well-drained soil. Tolerates clay if it is not waterlogged, and a broad range of soil pH.

Height

1-1.5 ft (0.3-0.45 m)

Spread

1-1.5 ft (0.3-0.45 m)

Flowers

Summer into autumn; golden-yellow petals around raised, dark brown centres.

Foliage

Dark green, rough-textured, oval to lance-shaped leaves form a low mound; foliage dies back in winter.

Growth

Moderate; forms a fuller clump over two to three growing seasons.

Care needed

Low

• Pollinators
• Deer resistant
• Cold hardy
• Heat tolerant
• Wildlife
• Low allergen

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Easy

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   1 ft (0.3 m)

2. After 1 year

   1.1 ft (0.32 m)

3. After 2 years

   1.1 ft (0.35 m)

4. After 3 years

   1.2 ft (0.38 m)

   full size

About 3 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Safe

Native to

the US and Canada

Growth rate

Moderate

• Water deeply during the first growing season, allowing the surface soil to dry slightly between waterings.
• Apply a thin layer of compost in spring; avoid heavy feeding, which encourages leafy growth.
• Mulch around the clump to conserve moisture, keeping mulch away from the crown.
• Water at soil level and leave space between plants to reduce leaf disease.
• Divide crowded clumps in spring every three to four years if flowering declines, subject to any applicable plant-protection restrictions.

Pruning. Remove faded flower stems during summer if you want a tidier display, or leave the last seedheads for birds and winter structure. Cut dead stems back close to the ground in late winter or early spring before new growth develops.

Late winter

Cut down old stems before fresh shoots emerge, unless they were removed in autumn.

Spring

Plant into workable, well-drained soil and water thoroughly; divide overcrowded established clumps where propagation rights allow.

Late spring

Apply compost and mulch, keeping the crown clear, and check young shoots for slug damage.

Summer

Water during extended dry weather and remove faded flowers if desired.

Autumn

Leave some seedheads for birds and avoid cutting healthy stems down solely for tidiness.

• Plant along the front of sunny borders for a low band of late-season yellow.
• Repeat small groups among ornamental grasses and purple-flowered perennials for a compact prairie-style planting.
• Use beside paths where its short stems keep flowers at the edge without blocking views.
• Grow in roomy containers with drainage holes, checking moisture more often than in the ground.

Garden styles it suits: Cottage garden, New perennial (prairie), Pollinator garden, Low-maintenance, Small-space and Autumn colour.

Plant it with: Purple coneflower, Meadow sage, Catmint, Autumn stonecrop, Prairie dropseed and Hardy asters.

Wildlife: The open flowers provide pollen and nectar for bees, butterflies and other insects. Finches and other seed-eating birds may visit seedheads left standing into winter.

• Leaf spots: remove badly affected foliage and fallen leaves, water at soil level, and improve spacing and airflow.
• Powdery mildew: avoid drought stress and overcrowding; remove heavily affected leaves.
• Slugs and snails: protect emerging spring shoots with hand-picking, traps or an appropriately labelled iron-phosphate bait.
• Crown or root rot: avoid waterlogged sites and keep mulch off the crown; lift affected plants and improve drainage.

Not known to be toxic to people, cats, dogs or horses. No part is intended as food; eating plant material may cause stomach upset, and handling the rough foliage can irritate sensitive skin.

• Goldsturm black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii 'Goldsturm')

  Very similar yellow flowers with dark centres, but usually grows about 2-3 ft (0.6-0.9 m) tall rather than forming Little Goldstar's low mound.

• Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)

  Usually has more conspicuously bristly stems and leaves and is often annual or short-lived; flower size and colour vary widely among cultivars.

• Brown-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia triloba)

  A much taller, more openly branched plant with many smaller flowers; some lower leaves have three lobes.

Rudbeckia honours the Swedish botanists Olof Rudbeck the elder and younger, while black-eyed Susan refers to the flower's dark central cone.

Propagation. Seed does not reliably reproduce this cultivar's compact habit. Division in spring produces matching plants, but this is a protected cultivar in some markets; check applicable propagation rights before multiplying it.

Accepted botanical name

Rudbeckia fulgida

In the US and Canada

Native in the lower 48 states. Introduced in Canada.

Native range

Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Masachusettes and Michigan.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.