Black-eyed Susan 'American Gold Rush'
Rudbeckia 'American Gold Rush' · Asteraceae Popular
A dome of narrow, hairy leaves covered in golden, black-centred daisies from July to October.
- Size
- 24 in tall, 3 ft wide
- Zones
- 4 to 9
- Light
- Full sun
- Flowers
- Mid July to early October
- Pets
- Not checked
- Job in a bed
- Drift
A bed built around black-eyed Susan 'American Gold Rush'
The planner designed this bed around black-eyed Susan 'American Gold Rush' when this page was made: a 12 × 6 ft (3.7 × 1.8 m) English border in zone 6, full sun. It chose the other plants from the 966 that suit those conditions, and says below why black-eyed Susan 'American Gold Rush' stands where it does.
The plants
- 1 Black-eyed Susan 'American Gold Rush' × 1, yellow
- 2 Moor grass 'Greenlee' × 5, tan
- 3 Bloody cranesbill 'Max Frei' × 7, pink
- 4 False sunflower 'Summer Nights' × 3, yellow
- 5 Purple milkweed × 5, purple
- 6 Spurge 'Chameleon' × 3, purple leaves
- 7 Schubert's allium × 2, pink
- 8 Ornamental onion 'Purple Sensation' × 3, purple
Why this plant
- Nothing here is unique to it. Its leaf, flower shape and colour are all on the plan already. Its case rests on where it stands and when it performs.
Why here
- In the middle. At 24 in it is the step between moor grass 'Greenlee' (12 in) in front and purple milkweed (3 ft) behind: each is seen over the one before.
- One plant, alone. A feature plant is seen as an object, and needs clear ground around it.
- Fine leaf against bold. Purple milkweed is beside it: the strongest contrast of leaf there is.
Why now
- In flower for 12 weeks. From mid July to early October.
- Closes the season. For its last four weeks nothing else on the plan is in flower.
Planned as an English border: 5 of the 6 groups (83%) are drifts, longer along the bed than they are deep. The back corners are held by purple milkweed and false sunflower 'Summer Nights', the tallest plants on the plan. Heights step up from about 10 in at the front to 2½ ft at the back.
The planner's own design check: 10 Excellent, 7 Good. It flags one thing to watch: Nothing on this plan is highly poisonous or an aggressive spreader.
Open this bed in the planner Change its size, the sun or the style, move plants about, or swap one for another.
Where black-eyed Susan 'American Gold Rush' goes in a border
At 24 in it belongs in the middle of a bed. In the planner's ten height classes it is medium short (18 to 24 in).
Its job: drift. Planted in a small group of three or five, and repeated further along in the other number.
Bred to resist the leaf spot that disfigures 'Goldsturm' in humid summers. It stays in a clump and flowers a month longer. Perennial Plant of the Year in 2023.
- A disease-free black-eyed Susan
- Hot, humid gardens
- Mass planting
What to plant with black-eyed Susan 'American Gold Rush'
Plants recorded as good partners for it, and what each pairing does:
- Little bluestem: its blue-green leaves are a setting for the flowers, before and after.
- Russian sage: in flower together for nine weeks, from mid July; spires rising out of its mound; tall enough (4 ft) to stand behind it.
- Sedum 'Autumn Joy': in flower together for eight weeks, from mid August; bold leaves against its fine ones.
Questions about black-eyed Susan 'American Gold Rush'
Does black-eyed Susan 'American Gold Rush' need sun or shade?
Black-eyed Susan 'American Gold Rush' grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day).
It wants ordinary well-drained soil, of average fertility, and little watering once settled.
What zones does black-eyed Susan 'American Gold Rush' grow in?
USDA zones 4 to 9. It is hardy to zone 4, which means it survives winter nights down to about −20 °F (−29 °C).
Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.
When does black-eyed Susan 'American Gold Rush' flower in my zone?
In zone 5 it flowers mid July to early October. As a summer flower it moves about half a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer.
| Zone 4 | Late July to early October |
|---|---|
| Zone 5 | Mid July to early October |
| Zone 6 | Mid July to early October |
| Zone 7 | Mid July to early October |
| Zone 8 | Mid July to early October |
| Zone 9 | Early July to early October |
Worked out from Hopkins' bioclimatic law: spring arrives about four days later for each degree of latitude north, and one zone is roughly two degrees. A warm spring or a cold one moves any garden two weeks either way.
How far apart should black-eyed Susan 'American Gold Rush' be planted?
2½ ft (75 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 3 ft (90 cm), so a group knits into one patch.
It grows 24 in (60 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.
How many black-eyed Susan 'American Gold Rush' plants do I need?
At 2½ ft apart, set out in staggered rows:
- 2 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
- 5 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
- 6 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own
In a mixed border, plant it as a group of three or five, with a second group further along in the other number.
In the bed above, the planner used one in one group.
Is there a native plant like black-eyed Susan 'American Gold Rush'?
Black-eyed Susan 'American Gold Rush' is not native to North America. These North American natives come closest to doing its job:
- Black-eyed Susan 'Goldsturm': the same job in a bed, the same flowering time and the same colour; 10 in narrower, medium leaves, not fine.
- Autumn sage: the same job in a bed; 6 in taller, 6 in narrower.
Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.
What flowers after black-eyed Susan 'American Gold Rush'?
Black-eyed Susan 'American Gold Rush' is over by early October. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:
- Japanese onion 'Ozawa': from early October to early November, 10 in tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.
- Chrysanthemum 'Sheffield Pink': from late September to early November, 2½ ft tall.
- Tatarian aster 'Jindai': from early October to early November, 4 ft tall.
What does black-eyed Susan 'American Gold Rush' look like in winter?
Black-eyed Susan 'American Gold Rush' dies down to the ground and there is nothing to see until spring. The old stems can be cut in autumn, or left until spring as shelter for overwintering insects.
More Rudbeckia
- Black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia fulgida
- Black-eyed Susan 'Goldsturm' Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii 'Goldsturm'
- Black-eyed Susan 'Little Goldstar' Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii 'Little Goldstar'
- Brown-eyed Susan Rudbeckia triloba
- Coneflower 'Herbstsonne' Rudbeckia 'Herbstsonne'
- Cutleaf coneflower Rudbeckia laciniata
- Giant coneflower Rudbeckia maxima
- Gloriosa daisy Rudbeckia hirta
- Gloriosa daisy 'Indian Summer' Rudbeckia hirta 'Indian Summer'
- Sweet coneflower 'Henry Eilers' Rudbeckia subtomentosa 'Henry Eilers'
In these guides
Zone guides: Zone 4 · Zone 5 · Zone 6 · Zone 7 · Zone 8 · Zone 9
Every fact on record
- Type
- Perennial
- Size
- 24 in (60 cm) tall, 3 ft (90 cm) wide
- Plant
- 2½ ft (75 cm) apart
- Height class
- Medium short (18 to 24 in)
- Place in the bed
- Middle
- Flowers
- Mid July to early October; daisies; yellow
- Leaves
- Fine texture, herbaceous; green
- Shape
- Mounding, clumping
- Hardy in
- USDA zones 4 to 9
- Light
- Full sun
- Soil
- Average, well-drained
- Water
- Low
- Feeding
- None needed
- Family
- Asteraceae
Not yet checked against an outside reference: its figures rest on general horticultural knowledge. Flowering times are for zone 5: later in colder zones, earlier in warmer ones. Toxicity and spread information is a general gardening guide, not veterinary or medical advice, and invasive status varies by region. If a person or pet eats a plant, contact poison control or a vet. Check your local invasive species list before planting anything with a spread warning.