Rudbeckia fulgida ‘Goldsturm’

In late summer the daisy family really seems to come into its own, providing interest and colour in the garden as we move into Autumn.

There would be very little in my garden if it weren’t for the Echinaceas, Heleniums, Asters and Rudbeckias still doing ‘their thing’. Many other plants have long since succumbed to slugs, mildew or lack of water. 

My absolute favourite ‘daisy’ is Rudbeckia ‘Goldsturm’ – popular and widely grown for good reason in my opinion (it has an AGM). Many people seem to have an aversion to yellow in the garden but the golden yellow of this plant works so well with grasses and the seedheads of summer flowerers, as well as the burnt oranges of Heleniums, reds of Salvias and blues of Asters. In poor light their colour really pops and I love the simplicity of the flowers.

It is such an easy plant. It achieves a height and spread of about 60cm and doesn’t seem to need staking. It can be propagated easily by division. I got my initial plants in a pack of tiny plugs from Thompson & Morgan (or similar) and three plants have gone on to give me (and friends) several good clumps. The RHS says it likes full sun and moist-but-well-drained soil but mine seem to do OK partially shaded by other plants, in not-so-great soil which hasn’t been watered all summer.

Like other members of the daisy family they are excellent for pollinators. The centre of the flower is actually a mass of tiny individual flowers so they are a wonderful source of late-season nectar. They also produce large numbers of seeds so are an important food source for birds and small mammals through Autumn and Winter. 

I wouldn’t be without them in the garden.