General Landscape Uses:
Wildflower gardens.
Availability:
Widely available in central Florida. Commonly available at native plant nurseries in South Florida. Available at native plant nurseries in northeast Florida.
Description: Medium short-lived herbaceous wildflower.
Dimensions: Typically 1-3 feet in height. Usually taller than broad.
Growth Rate: Moderate.
Range:
Widespread in North America south to Miami-Dade and Collier counties, but very rare in Broward and either very rare or extirpated in the wild in Miami-Dade. Not documented on barrier islands in southeastern Florida, but possibly historically present; it grows well at
Pan’s Garden in Palm Beach.
Map of select IRC data from peninsular Florida.
Map of Postal Code Areas of IRC data from peninsular Florida.
Habitats: Pinelands.
Soils: Moist to seasonally wet, moderately well-drained sandy or limestone soils, without humus.
Nutritional Requirements: Low; it grows in nutrient poor soils.
Salt Water Tolerance: Low; does not tolerate flooding by salt or brackish water.
Salt Wind Tolerance: Low; salt wind may burn the leaves.
Drought Tolerance: High; does not require any supplemental water once established.
Light Requirements: Full sun.
Flower Color: Yellow and brown.
Flower Characteristics: Showy.
Flowering Season: Summer-fall.
Fruit: Inconspicuous achene.
Wildlife and Ecology: Provides nectar for pollinators. Attracts native bees and other beneficial insects. Provides seeds and insects for birds.
Horticultural Notes: Can be grown from seed.
Comments: See also the Florida Wildflower Foundation's
Flower Friday page, and 2-page publication on
planting and care of Rudbeckias in landscapes page.
