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| ...or so Elmer Fudd would say.
This post is part of my ceaseless effort to promote Rudbeckia triloba (brown-eyed Susan), one of the most carefree and floriferous perennials I've ever had, good for at least a month and a half of powerhouse bloom every year. I'm not sure how long-lived plants are, but it doesn't matter since it reseeds (mostly in the same spot it's been growing in). |
Follow-Up Postings:
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| If you have a garden, you must grow this plant. There is no excuse! Mine is just getting going and it is simply the best! I'll try to post a photo when it stops raining. What I really like about these, is the way they grow - almost like a carefully pruned shrub. So neat and tidy. Yours look very, very nice. Kevin |
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| Wow - that's a showstopper! I don't grow them because yellow flowers don't fit into my summer planting scheme. I do admire them in other people's yards, though. Noticed one of the neighbors has a good-sized clump blooming it's head off in the front yard when I was out walking the beasts today. |
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| Kevin and Eric you'll be happy to know I just ordered some of these at Santa Rosa's sale. Actually, it's kind of funny. I thought I had some, but figured they petered out since I didn't see them this year. So I ordered them, and two days later was out in my jungle of a corner garden, and there they were, hidden behind the native goldenrod that is forever trying to take over that corner, and the sassafras saplings that are locked in endless battle with the goldenrod. But that's okay! I'm happy to have more! Dee |
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- Posted by littlebug5 z5 MO (My Page) on Sun, Aug 17, 14 at 19:05
| One of my favorites, hardy, colorful and carefree. I've had many over the years, as we've moved from place to place. And they go perfectly with our current home which is a mix of tan siding and cedar-shake brown shingles. But we call them brown-eyed-jims-and-johns. Guess what my kids' names are and the color of their eyes. :) |
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| I have two plants in a semi-wild area that grew from dropped/blown seed (or spontaneously generated) and there was another for awhile elsewhere in the perennial garden. But they really haven't spread much (unlike the Joe-pye weed I bought back in 2003, which is everywhere). I wish I could take credit for R. triloba's performance, but I mostly just stand back and let it shine. |
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| I'm impressed with Eric's specimen. In the wild, they're rangier...but I saw some that were also 6 and half feet tall. Quite scary...a loose Wudbeckia cloud. Here's a pic of the 6 1/2 foot monster, bear in mind those adjoining baby Sycamore leaves are huge.... I started a ton of them via WS, and am waiting for cooler wetter weather (and a decline of slugs maybe?) to plant them in the ground...I should have nice clumps next year in my beds. |
This post was edited by dbarron on Mon, Aug 18, 14 at 8:13
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| I'm impressed with Eric's specimen. In the wild, they're rangier Good observation. I see this as well I have been trying to establish "Triloba" in a wild area just beyond our garden and slowly but surely self seeding is happening. (Below is a picture of a from seed Triloba "Prairie Glow" which is poking through all the tall thistles and wild raspberry canes.) We would see more results if it wasn't for the wascally deer which frequently lop off the top of these plants throughout the growing season :(. |
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| I have a prairie glow too....but the slugs are doing their best to eliminate all the seedlings ;( |
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| I have some rudbeckia laciniata behind me in a wild area. This picture (from my phone) doesn't do the bright yellow color justice, or show the bright magenta of the phlox that's reseeded all over. I don't have yellow in my garden to speak of, but really enjoy these "out back." In another area of our subdivision commons there are some shorter rudbeckias that are just masses of blooms without the "rangy" look. |
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- Posted by pitimpinai z6 Chicago (My Page) on Mon, Aug 18, 14 at 21:26
| That is one impressively full triloba, Eric. It closes the blooming season for Rudbeckias very nicely and makes part of my R. collection. The others are hirta, Goldsturm, and laciniata. I used to have R. missouriensis but have not seen any this year. Dee, I could have sent you as many seedlings of triloba as you possibly want. Would you like some seeds and seedlings? I can mail you some seeds this fall and seedlings next spring. rouge, would you like some triloba seeds? ;-) I'll mail some across the border. :-) |
This post was edited by pitimpinai on Mon, Aug 18, 14 at 21:37
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| pitimpinai, that would be lovely, thank you so much! Do you still have my address from (what seems to be 100) years ago or should I email you? ;) I was driving down a commercial stretch of road today and saw a HUGE swath of these along a driveway to a store. Stunning! Too bad I had to pay attention to traffic, lol! Dee |
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- Posted by pitimpinai z6 Chicago (My Page) on Tue, Aug 19, 14 at 8:40
| Hi Dee, Please send your address to pitimpinai@gmail.com. I am sorry I did not transfer all the addresses from my yahoo account  when I switched to gmail. Thanks. That goes for all of you folks who would like R. triloba seeds & seedlings. I have plenty to share. I can mail seedlings in spring for postage. :-D |
This post was edited by pitimpinai on Tue, Aug 19, 14 at 12:09
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| Here's mine right now. This is a group of 3 plants, planted this past spring, which started out as second year seedlings with a leaf span of about 6 inches. They now occupy a space about 5 x 3 feet and are about 40 inches tall. These can grow large in good soil. Kevin
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| Very nice Kevin; neat the way it is sandwiched between the hibiscus and clematis. (So for all of...July...the 2 spots ie hib. and tri. are not in bloom?) For myself with limited overall space and even much less space with a full sun aspect I am always debating whether a large space eating plant is worth it. Kevin do you ever think similarly with your Triloba? |
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| Thanks rouge. "(So for all of...July...the 2 spots ie hib. and tri. are not in bloom?)" You have to keep in mind a couple of things: and... Both of these plants have very small footprints meaning for the majority of the summer they don't occupy much garden space. It's not until late in the year that they really start to bush out. By that time the other plants around them are done for the season and these can fill out to their hearts content. For instance, the 3 rudbeckia were planted in an area of bare soil less than 3 feet long and maybe a foot wide. There are a lot of plants on the other side of the rudbeckia which you can't see because the rudbeckia have branched-out over them. Kevin |
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| Thanks for the follow-up Kevin. Like you our gardens are over brimming with plants. I think I would like to know how it feels having too much space. I wonder what would be the least amount of property needed to have this happen. |
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- Posted by carolinaflowerlover 7bNC (My Page) on Tue, Aug 19, 14 at 22:50
| Pretty! It sounds like these would be good candidates for planting at a school. I am looking for flowers that reseed somewhat but not crazily (very little to no deadheading) and that need no supplemental watering. Blooming this time of year is perfect. What do you think? |
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| Nice planting, Kevin. Do you trim your plants earlier in the season? ( find that they require staking unless cut back sharply at least once (and may need it anyway depending on whether there are late season heavy rains). |
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| carolina - It's been my experience these reseed by the thousands if not cut back promptly in the fall. Even then, expect lots and lots of seedlings the next year. I have also found they do need a decent supply of water to do their best. eric - No I do not trim mine at all. Very high wind late in the season might make them lean, but I never stake either. Kevin |
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| Large stand next door. Started with two plants. This is the result of letting them self seed with little or no attention. |
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- Posted by carolinaflowerlover 7bNC (My Page) on Fri, Aug 29, 14 at 20:57
| Thanks, Kevin. I have not noticed a lot of seedlings from mine, but I am almost OCD about deadheading. That would not work for school, though. Thanks for the warning. :) Mn, that is very pretty! |
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| Triloba mixed in with a "Lemon Queen" |
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| Yes the 'wudbeckia' if not deadheaded regiously will take over, but the birds love those seeds. Here are the Goldfinches, patiently waiting for that delicacy to mature. . |
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| The neighbor's rudbeckia have started to seed and the finches are already there with the stems bobbing up and down and swaying back and forth as they feed. |
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| It's "Herbstonne" season:
I cut this one back by half or so in July. |
This post was edited by eric_oh on Sun, Sep 7, 14 at 12:45
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