Rudbeckia missouriensis

Missouri coneflower is a species on its own, native to – guess where – Missouri and Arkansas. What a surprise! Still, in the new millennium it is listed among endangered species and is commonly offered as a commercially cultivated perennial around the northern hemisphere.

Missouri coneflower is a beauty with typical black-eyed-susan golden yellow, narrow ray florets and deep chocolate brown centres hiding nectar attracting butterflies and bumble bees. Seedlings may vary on the petal shape – either with an acute tip or rounded. In both cases this coneflower is an eye-catcher. It blooms in July and August.

Deciduous leaves are mid to light green, also very narrow and hairy, most of them remain at the ground level and some climb up along the stems which are hairy, too, and grown about 40 cm tall. In rich soils they may grow taller but then need staking.

Missouri coneflower naturally grows in poor and free draining soil in full sun. It will not tolerate heavy, water-logged soil but is not picky about pH. It is very hardy surviving abt. -40°C (USDA zone 3) which we never had the chance to test and hope not to in the future.

Last update 02-07-2015