Rudbeckia 'Indian Summer'

Rudbeckia 'Indian Summer': Salad-Plate Gold Towering Over the Border

Golden daisies as big as a saucer, with dark brown cones and absolutely no sense of proportion. This black-eyed Susan treats every single bloom like a SUPERSIZE ORDER.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Rudbeckia hirta 'Indian Summer'
• Common Name: Black-eyed Susan, gloriosa daisy
• Height: 80–90 cm (31–36 in)
• Spread: 30–45 cm (12–18 in)
• Flowers: Very large single to semi-double golden-yellow daisies, 15–23 cm (6–9 in) across, with dark brown cones
• Bloom Time: Midsummer to fall (July to October)
• Foliage: Coarse, hairy, medium green leaves
• Features: Excellent cut flower, heat tolerant, short-lived but self-seeds

Where to Plant: Plant it in the middle or back of a sunny border, in cottage and cutting gardens or in prairie-style plantings, where the big flowers can rise above shorter neighbours. Cut a few stems for the kitchen table, since they hold up well in a vase.

Companion Plants: Give big 'Indian Summer' a sunny or part-shade bed with a pink peony, white veronica and white anemones. Paeonia 'Angel Cheeks' opens soft pink bomb peonies at 70 cm in June. Veronica Magic Show® 'White Wands' adds white spikes at 36 to 41 cm in June and July. Anemone 'Dainty Swan' brings white, purple-backed anemones at 46 to 61 cm from June to September. Sesleria caerulea edges the front with blue-green tufts at 15 to 30 cm.

Plant Care: Plant in full sun to part sun, in average, well-drained soil. It tolerates poor soil and summer heat, but blooms best with regular water during dry spells. It rarely needs staking. Deadhead regularly to keep the flowers coming. Toward the end of the season, leave some seed heads standing for winter interest, for the birds, and to let the plant reseed. Rudbeckia hirta is a short-lived perennial that often acts as a biennial. Letting a few seedlings grow on keeps it in your garden year after year. Cut back in late fall or early spring.

History: 'Indian Summer' won an All-America Selections award in 1995 and later received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. Its parent species, Rudbeckia hirta, is native across much of North America, from the prairies to southern Canada, including Ontario.

Final Thoughts: Cut a few for the kitchen and you won't need a second vase. It handles heat and self-seeds. SIZE DOES MATTER.