SCIENTIFIC NAME: Rudbeckia triloba 'Prairie Glow'

COMMON NAME: Prairie Glow Brown-Eyed Susan

GARDEN SIZE: 3–5 feet tall x 1.5–2 feet wide

GROWTH RATE: Fast

USDA ZONE: 4 to 8

EXPOSURE: Full Sun, Part Shade

WATER & SOIL: Tolerates a wide range of soil conditions and prefers average to dry moisture. Requires regular watering after planting, but is drought tolerant once established.

HABIT (FORM): Upright, branching herbaceous biennial or short-lived perennial

FOLIAGE: Deciduous; green, rough-textured leaves, some 3-lobed

FLOWERS: Bicolor orange rays with yellow tips and brown center cones; daisy-like flowers, 1.5" across; blooms mid-summer through mid-fall

PLANT ORIGIN: Nativar of a species found in central and eastern United States, including Tennessee.

WILDLIFE SUPPORT: Excellent nectar source for butterflies, bees, and other pollinators. Provides seasonal cover for small wildlife and may support seed-eating birds. Host plant for local butterflies and moths.

FERTILIZING: Give a root stimulant or 4-3-3 fertilizer during initial planting, then feed lightly in late winter or early spring with compost or an organic fertilizer.

PRUNING: Cut back to just above soil level in early spring to encourage dense regrowth. Leaving stems, leaves, and spent blooms over the winter benefits native pollinators and wildlife.

TOXICITY FLAGS: None reported

USES: Border plant, container, cut flower, mass planting, cottage gardens, rain gardens, patio containers