Early Bird Gold rudbeckia (photo by Allen Owings)

The industry standard in rudbeckia is the Goldsturm variety, which is widely available in Louisiana. Normally, this variety flowers twice during the year. A good bloom occurs in late spring through midsummer, and you can get some fall flowers, too.

A new variety that was developed from Goldsturm is Early Bird Gold. It is a great landscape performer and was found by Dupont Nursery in Plaquemine, Louisiana, to be an earlier-blooming sport of Goldsturm.

Both of these are very hardy perennials. Divide them every three years to keep your planting vigorous. Plant them in full sun. Plants are drought-tolerant.

A new similar rudbeckia is Little Goldstar. This is a new breeding breakthrough and is a dwarf-growing equivalent of Goldsturm. It blooms earlier and matures at about 24 inches tall. These rudbeckias are disease-resistant and deer-resistant.

Rudbeckias perform best in the full-sun landscape.

Allen Owings
Rick Bogren