A native flowering perennial that’s as beloved by gardeners as it is by the birds, bees, and butterflies! Rudbeckia laciniata is a North American herbaceous perennial known for inhabiting open woods, meadows, and disturbed areas such as roadsides. This incredibly versatile, fast-growing wildflower will colonize quickly to give the pollinator or native garden a naturalized look, when in mid-summer to mid-fall, usually from July to October, bright yellow flowers with green centers appear anywhere from 3’ to 10’ above the basal foliage. The broadly lobed leaves that give this perennial its common name, Cutleaf Coneflower, begin to appear in the late spring, creating a rather dense but attractive groundcover of foliage until the blooms appear in late summer. Young leaves can be harvested as a delicious edible green, which the Cherokee called “sochan” – its bright, mild flavor is perfect for adding to salads, sautéing with beans or other veggies, or using as a substitute in endless recipes calling for greens. Following the flowering period, seedheads serve as a great food source for hungry birds throughout fall and winter, while small basal foliage remains persistent through cold weather to give a semi-evergreen groundcover feeling to floor of the garden. Rudbeckia laciniata received the NC Wildflower of the Year Award in 1995, spearheaded by the North Carolina Botanical Garden.

• Category: Perennials
• Hardiness Zone: 3
• Height: 60 Inches
• Spread: 24 Inches
• Bloom Color: Yellow