The two plants, Echinacea (10 species) and Rudbeckia (25 species), are closely related despite being members of separate genera. They both belong to the Asteraceae family and are actually from the same tribe. Both genera’ species are exclusively herbaceous (no species are woody), perennial, and typically highly cold-hardy. Being wholly of North American origin, they are also from the same region. Both produce upright flower stalks of various heights and develop rosettes of basal leaves. With a composite flower head that resembles a daisy and a cone-shaped core, the inflorescences are strikingly similar. Both are frequently referred to as coneflowers due to their central cone.
The cone is made up of fertile florets, and it is encircled by colorful “petals” (which are actually ray flowers). The majority of the blooming for the two genera occurs from mid- to late summer through autumn.
They are simple to grow and can be used as ornamentals in flowerbeds and wildflower meadows by gardeners. The majority thrive in sunny locations and well-drained soils. They draw pollinators, particularly butterflies and bees. Neither is particularly vulnerable to deer or rabbit predation. Both also make excellent cut flowers.
For a very long time, the color of the ray flowers served as a reliable way to distinguish echinaceas from rudbeckias. In home gardens, echinaceas typically featured pink or white flowers, whereas rudbeckias typically had yellow blooms or yellow that was covered in orange, red, or brown. Wild yellow echinacea (E. paradoxa) has always existed, although not many people have ever grown it.
Then, in the early 2000s, new hybrid echinaceas first appeared on the market in a variety of hues, including red, orange, yellow, white, pink, green, and purple. The “pink/white compared to yellow differentiation” was abandoned at that point.
What about cone color, though? Many rudbeckia species have dark cones that are brown or almost black, earning them the names black-eyed or brown-eyed Susans. The majority of echinacea cones range from orange to green to mahogany brown, frequently shifting as the blooms ripen. Echinaceas never produce black cones or extremely dark ones.
It turns out that there are rudbeckias with green cones as well, although if so, they are typically a vivid green.
It’s true that neither of the double variants have any cones at all; however, the double varieties initially have a cone, which gradually gets covered in ray flowers, providing a window of opportunity for identification.
Touch the cones up close. The true giveaway is this. Echinacea, which derives its name from the Greek word echinos, which means “hedgehog,” has prickly cones that are coated in spiky appendages known as paleae. But Rudbeckia cones never have spiky edges.
Comparing cone color and, for even more assurance, texture is the greatest approach to differentiate between the two.
Echinacea or black-eyed Susan?
Even though they are native to North America, the most common species, Echinacea purpurea (purple coneflower) and Rudbeckia fulgida (black-eyed susan), are highly well-liked in perennial borders, wildflower meadows, English cottage style gardens, and even contemporary design gardens.
Are echinacea and coneflower the same thing?
One of the three distinct genera referred to as coneflowers is echinacea. Echinacea angustifolia and Echinacea purpurea are two well-known members of the Echinacea genus. Purple coneflowers, or (more ambiguously) plain coneflowers, is the common name for members of the Echinacea species. The only coneflower genus that most people are familiar with by name is the Echinacea one because of its reputation as a medicinal plant.
What other name would you give Rudbeckia?
Hardy in Zones 49, rudbeckia are perennial blooming perennials. They go by a variety of names, including Black-eyed Susan, Gloriosa Daisy, and Yellow Ox Eye, as do many other species. They belong to the Asteraceae family and are indigenous to both dry plains and wet woods in North America. Although the majority are thought to be perennial, some species, including R. hirta, are considered annuals. The R. hirta, R. fulgida, R. grandiflora, and R. triloba species are frequently found.
What distinguishes black-eyed Susans from coneflowers?
Black-eyed Susans and purple coneflowers both grow in clumps with long bloom stems on top. The taller of the two, purple coneflowers can grow to a height of 5 feet and a width of up to 2 feet. Black-eyed Susans can reach heights of 3 feet and widths of 2 1/2 feet. The sturdy stems of purple coneflowers persist long after the blooms have faded, and they frequently self-seed. Rhizomes, or underground roots, are how black-eyed Susans spread.
- Sometimes both black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia fulgida) and purple coneflowers (Echincea purpurea) are referred to as coneflowers, but the two are separate species.
- The taller of the two, purple coneflowers can grow to a height of 5 feet and a width of up to 2 feet.
What distinguishes black-eyed Susan from rudbeckia?
The Rudbeckia genus is a native wildflower that first gained popularity as a Native American pre-colonial herbal remedy before making its way into cultivated flowerbeds in the 19th century. Rudbeckia hirta, also known as the black-eyed Susan, and R. triloba, sometimes known as the brown-eyed Susan, are two of the genus’ most widely distributed species.
There is frequently confusion between these two species. Any of the frequently cultivated Rudbeckia species and their cultivars—including those that have been modified to eliminate the dark flower centers—are occasionally referred to as “brown-eyed” or “black-eyed.” However, compared to brown-eyed Susans, black-eyed Susans are bigger and have more petals. Other rudbeckia cultivars exist that are also popular garden plants.
Rudbeckia plants will bloom throughout the dog days of summer and beyond, needing little more than common garden loam and a full day of sunlight, luring pollinators and butterflies with an abundance of pollen and nectar offers. Put some rudbeckia plants in your cottage garden, let them adorn your flowerpots, or place some of the hardy flowers next to your mailbox for a cheery greeting.
Gardening Tip
The majority of Rudbeckias are perennials with a short lifespan; they may disappear after only a few years. However, because they self-seed so readily and grow so quickly, a tiny patch of these plants can be maintained virtually eternally.
Coneflowers—are they Rudbeckia?
You are not alone if you are perplexed when someone points out a coneflower and it is not what you anticipated. Coneflower refers to forty different plant species across five genera. Three genera, Echinacea, Rudbeckia, and Ratibida, are relatively common and are offered as garden flowers, however you will likely never come across some of them. I’ll begin with them.
Echinacea is the one that displays when I search for “coneflower.” Echinaceas* are attractive members of the Asteraceae family, which includes sunflowers. All nine of the species are indigenous to North America. Since all but one species have reddish flowers with hues ranging from highly pink-purple to extremely light, they are sometimes known as purple coneflowers. The final species, Echinacea paradoxica, is known as yellow coneflower and has yellow blossoms (not yellow purple coneflower). It is extremely similar to other Echinacea species, with the exception of color, but I don’t have a photo of it. Except for Echinacea angustifolia, sometimes known as black samson, none of the purple echinaceas appear to have common names other than purple coneflower (smooth purple coneflower, eastern purple coneflower, etc.), however you may occasionally encounter narrow-leaf echinacea.
(*Latin doesn’t allow you to add a s to a scientific name. Because the aim of the post is that all the plants share the same typical common name, I’m going to convert scientific names into common names for this entry by eliminating the capital letter and italics and allowing a s to make a plural. Particularly for these species, the scientific names distinguish the plants in a way that the common names do not.
Plants in the Rudbeckia genus of the Asteraceae (sunflower) family are also known as coneflowers. All 23 of the Rudbeckia species are indigenous to North America. Common names for this plant include Rudbeckia fulgida (orange coneflower), R. grandiflora (tall coneflower), R. occidentalis (western coneflower), etc.
The rudbeckias go by the names black-eyed Susan and brown-eyed Susan as their own common names. However, I only discovered a small number of species with these common names. The black-eyed Susans are sweet black-eyed Susan R. subtomentosa, perennial black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia fulgida, and black-eyed Susan, or common black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta. Brown-eyed Susan (R. triloba), big brown-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia maxima), and bog brown-eyed Susan are three other rudbeckias that share the common name (R. scabrifolia). Both brown-eyed Susan and black-eyed Susan are names for the widespread and well-known Rudbeckia hirta. The purple coneflowers, Echinacea, and the other 16 species of Rudbeckia both go by the common name coneflower.
The prairie coneflowers, genus Ratibida, sunflower family, Asteraceae, are the third significant group of plants referred to as coneflowers. Four of the seven Ratibida species that are native to North America grow north of Mexico. Because of how strongly the flower head shape resembles a cone, I refer to this plant as a coneflower. Except for Rudbeckia fulgida, also known as perennial black-eyed Susan, which is also known as prairie coneflower, they are usually referred to as prairie coneflowers, which sets them apart from the rest.
Native to the eastern half of North America, Ratibida pinnata is also known as pinnate prairie coneflower, grayhead coneflower, and gray-head Mexican hat. It has yellow flowers and is also known as yellow coneflower (the same as Echinacea paradoxica).
Ratibidas are also known by the common name “Mexican hat.” The USDA website refers to it as erect prairie coneflower, and neither of my photographs does it justice. It has petals that range from yellow to purplish to red, often blended on the same petal, which makes its resemblance to a floppy huge hat more apparent (link). This species’s natural habitat spans practically all of North America (link).
Coneflowers are a group of three distinct native American wildflowers that belong to the sunflower family. It helps if you use the proper pronouns when referring to purple coneflower or prairie coneflower, but this is not uncommon.
Two other genera are referred to as coneflowers. One is the clasping coneflower genus Dracopis, which has just one species: Dracopis amplexicaulis. Due to its recent separation from Rudbeckia, the name “coneflower” makes sense (about clasping coneflower).
The Proteaceae plant family’s Isopogon genus is the other. The Proteaceae are not found in North America and are only found in the Southern Hemisphere. I counted six native Australian wildflowers with the common name “coneflower,” but the majority go by the name “drumstick” or by other names that don’t include that word (Isopogon adenanthoides, spider coneflower; I. alcornis, elkhorn cornflower; I. formosus, rose coneflower; I. polycephalus, clustered coneflower; I. teretifolius nodding coneflower, and I. trilobus barrel coneflower). It is not surprising that Australians have their own coneflowers because there are many distinctions between Australian English and American English. (View Isopogon.) But be warned that Australian plants may appear when you search for “coneflower” online.
The American coneflowers are incredibly attractive and widely grown. Coneflower misunderstanding cannot be solved easily. If there is one in particular you desire, research its scientific name and request it before purchasing the “coneflower.”
How do I recognize Rudbeckia?
A black-eyed susan can grow to a height of 30 to 90 cm, making it a sizeable wildflower. The flower head features a distinctive black or dark-brown core cone that is encircled by rich, yellow, petal-like rays, as suggested by its name. Long, lanceolate, and harsh to the touch are the leaves. The stalk has a strong, rough texture.
Flowers:
The terminal shoot of a black-eyed susan has a single flowerhead on it. The flowerheads are radially symmetrical and fairly enormous, averaging 5-7.5 cm in width. The bloom has a conspicuous, hairy, black or dark-brown core cone that is encircled by bristle-tipped, rich-yellow, long ray-like rays with pronounced linear veining. Rays emerge from the central cone’s underside and slant slightly downward.
Fruit:
Leaves:
The length of the black-eyed susan’s leaves ranges from 5 to 17.5 cm. They have an ovate to lanceolate form and are slender. The leaves feature extensive veining, are rough to the touch, have winged petioles, and occasionally have few teeth. There are many leaves, and they develop erratically along the stalk’s length.
Habitat:
Fancy facts
The black-eyed susan is highly hardy and may thrive in any environment. It is actually referred to as a pioneer plant since it was among the first plants to emerge in places that had been devastated by fire and other natural disasters.
How many distinct varieties of Rudbeckia exist?
A daisy-like flower with a black center and yellow rays may come to mind when you hear the moniker “black-eyed susan.” In actuality, there are more than 40 different varieties of black-eyed susans.
If you like the way this flower appears, you might want to think about planting some of these kinds. Making a decision may take longer than you expect because there are so many options available with this low-maintenance plant.
Indian Summer Rudbeckia
Growing in zones 3 to 7, this summer bloomer produces gigantic, daisy-like flower heads that can reach a diameter of nine inches. Although the rays are often bright yellow, some of them may have an orange undertone. The center disk of this type is domed and dark brown in color. This choice has hairy, lance-shaped leaves that range in size from 3 to 7 inches.
Prairie Sun Rudbeckia
In zones 3 to 8, the prairie sun choice blooms from summer until frost. The flowerheads of this plant, which reaches a height of about 3 feet, resemble everyday flowers and measure around 5 inches in diameter. This black-eyed susan has a central disc that is green to yellow-green rather than the typical chocolate brown found on normal black-eyed susans. Bright green and growing upright, prairie sun leaves are a striking sight.
Rudbeckia hirta moreno
The mahogany-red rays from this plant, which struggles to grow to a height of 2 feet, have yellow tips. As the blossom ages, the mahogany hue slightly reddens. Different plants have different lengths of tips. The disc’s core is either black or a deep purple color. Zones 5 through 9 are suitable for this choice.
Rudbeckia: A Helianthus or not?
The vivid yellow daisy flowers known as black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia) and annual sunflowers (Helianthus) are in full spectacular bloom, defying the long days and scorching temperatures of late summer, when we all wilt.
The blossoms’ life appears to be fueled by the sun itself. Numerous colorful sunflowers and rudbeckias thrive in the region.
Sunflowers (Asteraceae) and rudbeckias are both members of this family. The showy ray flowers that make up the flowers of many members of this family are made up of the petals and the less eye-catching but no less fascinating central disc, which houses the flower’s reproductive organs. The disc is the center of activity for a bee.
Only the pollen and nectar found in the countless little disc flowers grouped together are transported by the petals that we so appreciate. Tiny, individual disc flowers begin to bloom from the bottom or outside of the disc and gradually grow upward over the course of many days to the top or center of the disc. Bees can be seen gathering pollen and nectar as the little blossoms expand, moving upwards or toward the center of the flower.
The perennial Rudbeckia fulgida ‘Goldstrum’ is the rudbeckia that is most often used. Rhizomes help this long-blooming, simple-to-grow plant spread over time. Deep green, tightly packed, and typically stiffly upright, the plant and leaves grow to a height of about 2 feet. The term comes from the fact that the central disc is black and has a prominent raised button. The petals are in a downward posture. This bouquet of flowers represents the style of several rudbeckias. The spread’s speed is dependent on the environment. The spread happens faster in areas with good soil and lots of water. The spread is gradual because to the dry weather and the weak soil.
This plant is a fantastic choice if you want a wide expanse of beautiful, vivid yellow daisies. To encourage more bloom, trim wasted flower stalks to a height of 1-3 inches above the ground. For bees, this rudbeckia is not the greatest choice.
Rudbeckia nitida is another rudbeckia that is less common and a little more difficult to fit into gardens because of the size of the plant. It has substantially bigger, looser-held leaves with coarser teeth.
On top of loose stems that are about 7 feet tall, there are blooms. The petals have a noticeable downward slant and are a beautiful, transparent yellow that are a little limp.
The flowers of the R. nitida ‘Herbstonne’ cultivar are bigger and have more broad petals. While still spreading, this rudbeckia does so more slowly than R. fulgida.
The “Herbstonne” variety may require staking if given enough of water and compost. This rudbeckia is an excellent site to view bees because it is very alluring to both honeybees and native bees. The plant may thrive in mild shade as well.
Rudbeckia triloba is a rudbeckia that is just wonderful. It is a transient perennial native to the Midwest that reseeds a small amount every year. It strongly resembles a dwarf sunflower with a lot of branches.
It reaches a height of about 3 feet and blooms profusely for weeks beginning in July and continuing through fall.
This rudbeckia, which is consistently happy and behaves well, ought to be cultivated more widely. Bees find this rudbeckia to be quite appealing. Although resistant to drought, it also thrives with regular water.
The gloriosa daisy, or Rudbeckia hirta, is typically planted as an annual but is actually a transient perennial. It is about two feet tall, has very stiff, hairy stems and leaves, and produces enormous daisy-like flowers that range in color from a rich orange-yellow to many different colors of brown and red.
Large and lance-shaped leaves are present. It is extremely drought hardy and makes excellent cut blooms. It can reseed. To encourage more bloom, trim spent flowers to the junction of a low branch.
The local wild and planted populations of Helianthus annuas, an annual sunflower, both exist. It thrives in grassland and at roadside edges and is quite resilient. Both multi-branched and single-stem cultivars are grown in gardens.
Traditional yellow flowers are also available in peach, crimson, and multicolored blooms. Although the size of the plant is dependent on the soil, water, and nutrients it receives, many types are in the 6 to 8 foot range. There are available dwarf variants.
Since dwarf cultivars typically bloom for a lot less time than large kinds, they might not be worth growing. Some sunflowers have been bred to produce no pollen.
They were originally a genetic mutation, but because the blooms don’t shed pollen onto your table, they are now widely farmed for the cutflower trade.
This is bad news for bees even though it is convenient for us. While these kinds continue to produce nectar, which is a bee’s daily food source, pollen provides a source of food for bee larvae for both honeybees and our native bees. A lack of pollen prevents bee reproduction. For a number of native bees, some of which specialize in this pollen, as well as feeding honeybees for their brood, sunflowers are a particularly essential supply of pollen (and nectar) in the summer.
Sunflower seeds are a great source of lipids and nutrients for songbirds. Sunflowers without pollen typically yield few seeds.
The magnificent annual Silver-Leaf Sunflower (Helianthus argophyllus), a native of Texas, Florida, and North Carolina, is a great choice for gardeners who appreciate beginning plants from seed.
It is a multibranched sunflower that is 6 feet tall and 5 feet broad, with medium-sized leaves and thick growth. Strong branching starts at ground level. This sunflower is distinguished by its delicate silvery/white foliage, which has thin silver hairs covering the leaves and stems.
The profusion of blossoms measures 6 inches in diameter and is rich yellow with a central disc that is chocolate in color. It requires full light and well-drained soil and is extremely heat- and drought-resistant. The optimum irrigation is drip. The branches snap when there is too much water.