Rudbeckias in Downtown Pittsburgh, PA

‘Becky’ Shasta Daisy

Here is what some downtown areas in the Southeast and Midwest U.S. were planting this spring:

Rudbeckia lacinata ‘Herbstonne’ aka ‘Autumn Sun’ is a long-blooming butterfly favorite with clusters of bright yellow ray flowers with large green cones from mid to late summer. Leaves are large, glossy, deep green, deeply cut along the stems.

Black Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia fulgida var. fulgida) is a native species form that grows 2-3 feet tall and is long flowering. Blooms are slightly more resistant to Septoria Leafspot disease. Removing the old flowers regularly promotes some re-blooming up to frost (zones 4-9). Available in 2019 is Glitters Like Gold PPAF rudbeckia which exhibits better Septoria  resistance.

‘Becky’ Shasta Daisy (Leucanthemum superbum) is a heat tolerant selection that is a flowering machine. The glossy dark green stems rise to 36 inches high and are topped with large white daisies in early summer. ‘Becky’ grows vigorously and handles summer heat better than most shastas. Flowers stand upright on sturdy stems; blooms up to 8 weeks if spent flowers are quickly deadheaded.

May Night Salvia (Salvia x sylvestris ‘May Night’ (Mainacht’)) blooms prolifically with dark purple-blue flowers (zones 4-8). This vigorous perennial exhibits excellent cold and heat tolerance. Blooming in late spring with a profusion of flower spikes, it re-blooms through the summer when deadheaded.

Hairy alumroot (Heuchera villosa) is the toughest coral bells that I know of. Some seed strains like ‘Autumn Bride’ and ‘Brownies’ are available for large urban plantings. Tiny flowers appear in late summer and contribute to the overall landscape appearance.

‘Northwind’ switchgrass (Panicum virgatum ‘Northwind’) is a 4-5 foot tall and 2-3 feet wide upright ornamental grass (zones 2-9). Dark green foliage is supported on a rigid vertical framework. In September this vigorous ornamental grass is topped by attractive infloresences in September.

Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ and ‘Matrona’ are two topnotch varieties of border sedums (Sedum telephium) that grow 18 to 24 inches tall and wide (zones 4-9). Flower heads form in mid-summer and gradually open into 3-4 inch wide dusty-pink flower heads from August onward, eventually turning bronzy-red in October. Performs in average soil and is highly drought tolerant.

Heuchera villosa ‘Brownies’

Panicum ‘Northwind’ in mid-summer