Black-eyed Susan 'Goldsturm'
Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii 'Goldsturm' · Asteraceae Popular
Masses of golden-yellow daisies with a black-brown cone, on stiff stems for two months, over dark, bristly leaves.
- Size
- 2 ft tall, 24 in wide
- Zones
- 3 to 9
- Light
- Full sun to part sun
- Flowers
- Late July to late September
- Pets
- No toxicity recorded
- Job in a bed
- Drift
A bed built around black-eyed Susan 'Goldsturm'
The planner designed this bed around black-eyed Susan 'Goldsturm' 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 'Goldsturm' stands where it does.
The plants
- 1 Black-eyed Susan 'Goldsturm' × 3, yellow
- 2 Cheddar pinks 'Tiny Rubies' × 21, pink
- 3 Winter heath × 6, white
- 4 Prairie blazing star × 3, purple
- 5 Wild quinine × 3, white
- 6 Silver sage × 1, silver leaves
- 7 Star of Persia × 4, purple
- 8 Tulip 'Apeldoorn' × 8, red
Why this plant
- The only daisies. The others are open bowls, bells, spires and others. Shape reads at a distance, where colours blur.
- The only yellow.
- The only medium leaves here. The rest are fine and bold. A change of leaf keeps plants distinct when nothing is in flower.
Why here
- At the back. At 2 ft it is seen over winter heath (10 in) in front of it, and has nothing behind it to hide.
- A step in the back row. Next to wild quinine (3½ ft) and prairie blazing star (4 ft): no two neighbours there are the same height, so the back steps up and down like a skyline.
- 3 plants in one group. Massed, one kind reads as a single shape. Scattered, it would look spotty.
Why now
- In flower for 10 weeks. From late July to late September.
- Closes the season. For its last four weeks nothing else on the plan is in flower.
Planned as an English border: 4 of the 5 groups (80%) are drifts, longer along the bed than they are deep. The scheme leans cool (pink and purple) and uses yellow and red for warmth, with white to calm things between them. Cheddar pinks 'Tiny Rubies' repeats along the bed to tie it together.
The planner's own design check: 13 Excellent, 4 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 'Goldsturm' goes in a border
At 2 ft it belongs in the middle of a bed. In the planner's ten height classes it is medium (24 in to 2½ ft).
Its job: drift. Planted in a small group of three or five, and repeated further along in the other number.
The best-selling perennial of the last forty years, and the mainstay of late-summer planting with grasses. It spreads into a solid mass, and its black cones stand all winter.
- Mass planting with grasses
- Late-summer colour
- Winter seed heads for birds
What to plant with black-eyed Susan 'Goldsturm'
Plants recorded as good partners for it, and what each pairing does:
- Purple coneflower: purple against yellow, opposite each other on the colour wheel, if you choose those colours, in flower together for seven weeks.
- Feather reed grass 'Karl Foerster': in flower together for 10 weeks, from late July; tall enough (5 ft) to stand behind it.
- Russian sage: in flower together for eight weeks, from late July; tall enough (4 ft) to stand behind it.
Questions about black-eyed Susan 'Goldsturm'
Does black-eyed Susan 'Goldsturm' need sun or shade?
Black-eyed Susan 'Goldsturm' grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day) and part sun (4 to 6 hours of sun, including some afternoon sun).
It wants ordinary well-drained soil, of average fertility, and a good soak in dry spells. Once settled in, it stands drought.
What zones does black-eyed Susan 'Goldsturm' grow in?
USDA zones 3 to 9. It is hardy to zone 3, which means it survives winter nights down to about −30 °F (−34 °C).
Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.
When does black-eyed Susan 'Goldsturm' flower in my zone?
In zone 5 it flowers late July to late September. As a summer flower it moves about half a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer.
| Zone 3 | Early August to late September |
|---|---|
| Zone 4 | Early August to late September |
| Zone 5 | Late July to late September |
| Zone 6 | Late July to late September |
| Zone 7 | Mid July to late September |
| Zone 8 | Mid July to late September |
| Zone 9 | Mid July to late September |
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 'Goldsturm' be planted?
20 in (50 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 24 in (60 cm), so a group knits into one patch.
It grows 2 ft (65 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.
How many black-eyed Susan 'Goldsturm' plants do I need?
At 20 in apart, set out in staggered rows:
- 4 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
- 7 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
- 14 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 three in one group.
Is black-eyed Susan 'Goldsturm' poisonous to dogs and cats?
No toxicity is recorded for dogs, cats, horses or people, according to NC State Extension.
"Not toxic" is not "edible": a pet that eats a lot of any plant can be sick.
Do deer eat black-eyed Susan 'Goldsturm'?
Mostly not. NC State lists it as resistant to deer. No plant is proof against a hungry deer in a hard winter, but this one is low on the menu.
Will black-eyed Susan 'Goldsturm' spread?
It spreads sideways, by runners or roots; the risk of it taking over is moderate. Spreads by short runners and by seed into a dense colony. Divide it every four years.
What flowers after black-eyed Susan 'Goldsturm'?
Black-eyed Susan 'Goldsturm' is over by late September. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:
- October daphne: from mid September to late October, 8 in tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.
- Autumn crocus: from mid September to mid October, 5 in tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.
- Aromatic aster 'October Skies': from mid September to late October, 20 in tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.
What does black-eyed Susan 'Goldsturm' look like in winter?
Black-eyed Susan 'Goldsturm' dies down, but leave the stems standing: the seed heads stand through the winter, and songbirds eat the seed. Cut them down in early spring, before the new shoots come.
Is black-eyed Susan 'Goldsturm' good for bees and butterflies?
Black-eyed Susan 'Goldsturm' is visited by bees, butterflies and songbirds.
It is native to the United States (this is a named variety of the native plant).
More Rudbeckia
- Black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia fulgida
- Black-eyed Susan 'American Gold Rush' Rudbeckia 'American Gold Rush'
- 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
- Deer-resistant perennials for full sun
- Drought-tolerant perennials for full sun
- Pet-safe plants for a sunny border
- Native perennials for pollinators
- Plants for butterflies
- Plants for bees
- Plants that feed garden birds
Zone guides: Zone 3 · Zone 4 · Zone 5 · Zone 6 · Zone 7 · Zone 8 · Zone 9
Every fact on record
- Type
- Perennial
- Size
- 2 ft (65 cm) tall, 24 in (60 cm) wide
- Plant
- 20 in (50 cm) apart
- Height class
- Medium (24 in to 2½ ft)
- Place in the bed
- Middle
- Flowers
- Late July to late September; daisies; yellow
- Leaves
- Medium texture, herbaceous; dark green
- Shape
- Upright, spreading
- Hardy in
- USDA zones 3 to 9
- Light
- Full sun, part sun
- Soil
- Average, well-drained
- Water
- Moderate
- Feeding
- None needed
- Family
- Asteraceae
- Attracts
- Bees, butterflies, songbirds
- Stands up to
- Deer, drought
Checked against NC State Extension. 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.