Home » Plants » Rudbeckia fulgida

Orange Coneflower (Rudbeckia fulgida Aiton)

Also known as perennial coneflower, black-eyed susan, Sullivant's coneflower.

Some authorities recognize different varieties; the common name "Sullivant's coneflower" refers to what some varieties call var. sullivantii. We follow POWO's scheme of not recognizing any sub-taxa of this species.

Page contents

Summary
Range
Life Cycle
Uses
Relatives
Links

↑Summary

A variable grouping of plants, with some authors classifying them as distinct species. When considered as a species, this is the Rudbeckia most commonly cultivated in gardens. In the wild, it is slightly less common, although it still has a fairly wide distribution across eastern North America. Many populations are scattered and local.

↑Range - Expand

Legend	Color
Native
Expanded
Native or Not Present
Native or Expanded
Expanded or Not Present
Native or Expanded or Not Present

This tentative map is based on our own research. It may have limited data on Canada and/or Mexico, and there is some subjectivity in our assignment of plants as introduced vs. expanded. Read more in this blog post.

Although this plant occurs somewhere in each of these regions, it may only occur in a small part of some or all of them.

This species is widely planted in gardens and sometimes escapes into the wild. It has established in several spots from New York State to Connecticut. This case represented a tough judgment call; these populations could easily be marked introduced, especially since this species is uncommon and not increasing at the northeastern borders of its range, the closest native populations. We marked it as expanded, however, because the distance to its native range is relatively short.

↑Life Cycle

A perennial, consistently longer-lived than R. hirta and R. triloba. Spreads by rhizomes, forming small colonies on favorable sites. Seeds are to some extent dispersed by wind, but are heavier and mostly fall close to the parent plant.

↑Uses

Widely cultivated as a landscaping plant. Numerous varieties exist.

If varieties are recognized, var. sullivantii is the source for most garden cultivars, and as such, it is the variety most commonly found in feral populations or escapes of cultivated plants. Outside the native range of this variety, these plants tend to look noticeably different from wild-type plants.

Overlaps with numerous other Rudbeckia species. Within most of its range, other species, including R. hirta and R. triloba are more common. Other plants of this genus, including R. laciniata, look visually more distinct.

The broader grouping includes numerous other closely-related genera, also often overlapping with this species in range.