Orange Coneflower
By LYNN ARTZ and SANDY TEDDER
While most wildflowers are a memory, orange coneflower (Rudbeckia fulgida) continues to display its yellow-orange flowers at the entrance to Sopchoppy Depot Park. This carefree native grows 1-3 feet tall, attracts native bees, and is a larval host for the silvery checkerspot butterfly. Orange coneflower is related to black-eyed susan (Rudbeckia hirta) but is less common in Florida.
Black-eyed susan occurs nearly statewide. Orange coneflower is found in a few central panhandle counties. Black-eyed susan spreads by seed and travels. The perennial orange coneflower stays where it is planted. Orange coneflower can be hard to find in nurseries. Many nurseries carry the cultivar Rudbeckia fulgida ‘Goldstrum’ instead. Experts recommend planting true natives due to the unknown appeal of cultivars to native pollinators and the risk of cross-pollination.