Rudbeckia fulgida var. fulgida is a shorter, later-blooming variety of our native orange coneflower. This clump-forming, rhizomatous perennial spreads to 2'-3' wide. Densely branching, sturdy stems are covered in deep yellow 2" daisy-like flowers with brown-black centers in late summer to fall. Shiny, deep green leaves are long and slender. The consistent size of the upper and lower leaves differentiates this orange coneflower from other varieties, where upper leaves are typically smaller than the lower ones. It also has smaller, more abundant flowers than other varieties and is among the latest of the Rudbeckia to bloom. Rudbeckia fulgida var. fulgida occurs naturally east of the Mississippi River from the Florida panhandle northwest to southern Illinois and northeast to New York state.
Orange coneflowers occur in open woods, meadows, savannas, and pastures. The sites are typically dry to mesic in sunny to partially shaded sites. It grows best in full sun in dry to moist soils with average soil fertility. It is drought tolerant once established. For spring clean-up, trim foliage and cut back stems to the ground. Rudbeckia fulgida var. fulgida is a good plant for large drifts for cottage gardens, perennial borders, meadows, and naturalized areas.
Space plants 1'-2' on center.
The plants spread when happy via seed and rhizomes. The basal foliage creates a dense, groundcover mat that helps suppress weeds. In areas with long periods of high heat and high humidity, be sure to space plants to increase air circulation and reduce the chance of foliar disease.
For companions that bloom before orange conflower puts on its show, pair it with Baptisia australis (blue wild indigo), Phlox pilosa (downy phlox), and Boltonia asteroides (white doll's daisy). For mid-season interest, add in Eryngium yuccifolium (button eryngo) and Oenothera fruticosa (sundrops). Then round out the growing season with blooms of Panicum virgatum (switchgrass), Sorghastrum nutans (indiangrass), and Symphyotrichum oblongifolium (aromatic aster).
"Orange" in the common name refers to the slight tint at the base of the ray petals. The seeds provide food for wildlife, including small mammals and birds. The flowers and foliage attract a wide range of pollinators and caterpillars. Makes a great cut flower.
The conservation status of Rudbeckia fulgida var. fulgida varies in its native range, and it's vulnerable or under even greater threat in at least four states.
$25 off orders of $500 or more
$50 off orders of $750 or more
$100 off orders of $1,000 or more
$300 off orders of $2,000 or more
15% off orders of $3,000 or more
Would you like your plants shipped later? You may choose to do so in the shopping cart.
Note: Early spring shipments might include plants that have not yet broken dormancy, or have not been vernalized and will be frost-tender. Please use your best judgment when selecting your preferred ship week.
Did you know? When plants are available from multiple growers, we list growers closest to your location first.
Why choose plants from the nearest grower? Choosing a the grower closest to you makes it more likely the plants are consistent with your ecoregion and better adapted to your location. In addition, shipping plants shorter distances typically uses fewer resources, something we can all get behind!
Recorded County Distribution: USDA data.
AL, DC, DE, GA, IL, IN, KY, MD, MO, NC, NJ, NY, OH, PA, SC, TN, VA, WV, FL |
Endangered | NJ |
Rare | IN |
MAP OF WETLAND DELINEATION REGIONS
Code |
Status |
Designation |
Comment |
OBL |
Obligate Wetland |
Hydrophyte |
Almost always occur in wetlands |
FACW |
Facultative Wetland |
Hydrophyte |
Usually occur in wetlands, but may occur in non-wetlands |
FAC |
Facultative |
Hydrophyte |
Occur in wetlands and non-wetlands |
FACU |
Facultative Upland |
Nonhydrophyte |
Usually occur in non-wetlands, but may occur in wetlands |
UPL |
Obligate Upland |
Nonhydrophyte |
Almost never occur in wetlands |
Kingdom | Plantae | Plants |
Subkingdom | Tracheobionta | Vascular plants |
Superdivision | Spermatophyta | Seed plants |
Division | Magnoliophyta | Flowering plants |
Class | Magnoliopsida | Dicotyledons |
Subclass | Asteridae | |
Order | Asterales | |
Family | Asteraceae | Aster family |
Genus | Rudbeckia | coneflower |
Species | Rudbeckia fulgida var. fulgida | orange coneflower |
Rudbeckia acuminata
Rudbeckia foliosa
Rudbeckia fulgida var. spathulata
Rudbeckia spathulata
Rudbeckia tenax
Rudbeckia truncata
Sizes info
Shipping is free on all plants orders!
Your plants will ship using each grower’s preferred method: FedEx Ground, UPS Ground, or Spee-Dee Ground (in select midwestern states). Our growers ship orders Monday through Wednesday. The farther your plants need to travel, the earlier in the week they will ship. The goal is to have all plants delivered by the end of the week.
Shipping plugs:
Plugs are shipped in full flats, sometimes also referred to as trays. Multiple flats can be shipped in a single box. The flats are wrapped in netting or craft paper to secure the plants, and spacers are used between flats to keep the plants from being crushed.
When you unpack your plugs, the plants will have been somewhat flattened by the netting or craft paper. They will straighten out within a couple of days. You may also gently “fluff” them a bit to speed up the process. In some cases, your plants might have been cut back before packing, if the grower deemed them to have become too tall for safe packaging. Don’t worry, though, these guys know what they’re doing and would not compromise the health of the plants. They’ll fill back in in no time.
After receiving your plants’ journey in a dark box, it will be important to acclimate them to sunlight again. Over a couple of days, you should gradually move them into their preferred light exposure, and water them as per their requirement.
Although we always recommend putting your plants in the ground as soon as possible, they can stay healthy in the flats for a considerable amount of time. The key is to respect their growing requirements: if the species requires full sun, do not store them in the shade. If it is best adapted to dry soil, do not over-water.
Planting plugs:
We consider plugs ready to ship when the plants’ roots have filled the entire liner cell and the plants can easily be pulled out. In some cases you will have to go about it gently, wiggling the plant by the crown, and possibly squeezing the bottom of the liner to compress the growing medium and release the roots. Other times, the plants will appear to be root bound. They are not in the traditional sense. The plants are healthy but they have used up all the growing medium available to them. Plugs are at an aggressive stage of growth. As soon as planted the roots will immediately expand into your native soil. They establish faster than plants in larger containers, because they don’t have the luxury of a lot of growing media that can inhibit the roots from venturing outside of their comfort zone.
We are not going to address area preparation because the process can be complex and is always site-specific. However, as a rule, we recommend disturbing the soil as little as possible, and we do not recommend amending the soil. If you chose the right plant for the right conditions they will thrive. Any disturbance and amendments will only encourage weeds to emerge that never had a chance to do so before.
Installing plugs cannot be easier: dig a hole large enough for the roots to fit snugly inside, then water them in to eliminate air gaps. We recommend using a soil knife, sometimes referred to as hori hori, or a drill-adapted auger if it’s a large installation. If you use an auger, you will need a powerful drill. Depending on the size of the project and the type of soil, the process can be beyond what an average drill will bear. Mulching is recommended after installation to help keep weeds down while the plants establish. Be sure to keep it away from the crown of the plants. For large projects, you may want to mulch the area before planting, rather than tiptoeing through it after the fact. As a side note: if you are installing plugs in the fall, you might want to plant them so that the crown is about ¾” lower than the surrounding soil. The winter’s freeze/thaw cycles can push plugs out if the roots did not have enough time to establish and anchor them in.