Sweet Coneflower

Rudbeckia subtomentosa

Sweet coneflower earns its name. Crush a leaf and you get a faint anise-like scent. subtle but unmistakable on a warm afternoon. The flowers open in midsummer as rings of golden-yellow rays surrounding a dark chocolate-brown center, blooming weeks later than Rudbeckia hirta and carrying the show well into fall. Plants form substantial clumps over time, with soft, slightly fuzzy foliage that gives a fine texture to the mid-border. This is the coneflower for gardeners who want height with presence. Four to five feet of upright, branched stems hold dozens of blooms at once, making it as effective in mass plantings as it is as a structural anchor. Goldfinches descend on the seed heads in late fall, and the dried stalks carry winter interest long after the last petal drops.