Image of Rudbeckia speciosa wenderoth
Source: David J Stang

Plant Names

image of Flowering plant
Rudbeckia speciosa wenderoth
Showy Coneflower
Rudbeckie voyante

Plant Characteristics

Bloom Colour: Yellow Bloom Period: Aug - Oct
Max Height: 2.0 feet
Max Width: 2.0 feet (spreads by rhizome)
Light Condition:
Full sun More than 6 hours of direct sun a day
Part shade More than 2 or 3 hours but less than 6 hours of direct sun a day
Soil conditions:
Moisture dry Tolerates dry soil condition
Moisture medium Tolerates medium soil condition
Lifespan: Perennial plants that will come back year after year
Gardener Experience:
does not spread Does not spread uncontrollably
plant spread by rhizome Spreads by rhizome
plant germinate easy Easy to germinate
plant self seeding Self-seeding
Landscape Uses:
container suitable Suitable for container garden
school garden Suitable for school gardens
Ecological Benefits:
bee host Bee host
Tolerates:
Juglone Tolerant Tolerates juglone conditions
Transplantation Tolerant Tolerates transplantation
Special Features and Considerations:

Seed and plant distribution status

No seeds available for this plant.
We currently accept seeds for this plant

Fun Facts

Showy Coneflower is a cheerful native perennial with bright yellow, daisy-like flowers surrounding a dark brown to black central cone. It blooms from summer into early fall and is an excellent choice for a sunny perennial garden. Unlike some of the very tall Rudbeckia species, Showy Coneflower is generally more compact and manageable, making it well suited to home gardens, borders and naturalized plantings.
The dark central cone is actually made up of many tiny individual flowers, called disc florets. The yellow “petals” are individual ray florets.
Showy Coneflower is a member of the sunflower family (Asteraceae) and is related to Black-eyed Susan and coneflowers such as Echinacea.

The dried central cones can remain attractive through winter, giving the plant four-season interest when the stems are left standing.

Plant Location

Distribution according to VASCAN

Distribution: Rudbeckia speciosa wenderoth
Ephemeral Native Introduced Excluded Extirpated Doubtful Absent

Thrives in Ecozones

  • Boreal Plains

Ecological Benefits

Butterflies Supported by Rudbeckia speciosa wenderoth

Specialized Bees Supported by Rudbeckia speciosa wenderoth

  • Andrena aliciae
  • Andrena rudbeckiae
  • Complexe Colletes americanus
  • Complexe Colletes compactus
  • Megachile inimica
  • Megachile pugnata
  • Melissodes agilis
  • Melissodes illatus
  • Melissodes subillatus
  • Melissodes trinodis
  • Protandrena andrenoides

Complementary Plants

  • No complementary plants found.

Substitute For Non-Native Plants

No substitute plant data available for this plant.

Sowing Information

Download Seed Envelope Labels (PDF)
  • Sowing depth: Surface sow
  • Sow by March
  • Stratification duration: 30 days
  • Self-seeding

Harvesting and Seed Sharing

  • Harvest start month: September
  • Harvesting indicator:
    • Seeds are dark and dry, and easily fall off when you gently pull them off
  • Harvesting:
    • Cut top edge then shake seeds off in bag or container with rock or equivalent
  • Seed viability test:
    • No test needed before donating
  • Packaging measure: 1 rounded 1/8 teaspoon
  • Seed storage:
    • Air dry in paper bag or open container, for a few days until crisp
    • Shake seeds to move them once in a while to prevent molding
  • Cultivar: No, you can donate without knowing the source as there are only straight species
  • No harvesting video available at this time.

Toxicity Notes

Inadequate information on toxicity found however other Rudbeckia are toxic and suspect this species to be toxic if ingested.