Plant of the Month
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Brown Eyed Susan
This month’s plant is the Brown-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia triloba), which raised questions at the sale about how it differs from the Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta). Both are natives, but the Brown-Eyed Susan is taller, more like 4’, and the blooms feature shorter, rounder petals and a smaller, lighter colored “eye” (I’ll leave the botany lesson for another time). The easiest identifier is the lower leaf shape, which, true to the species name, has three indented lobes, instead of one solid oval. Note that there are about 25 species of Rudbeckias, which, like Echinaceas, are often called coneflowers. And for fun, now there’s the hybrid “x Echibeckia”….
Flat-topped Aster
New Plant of the Mo nth – Flat-topped
Aster (Doellingeria umbellata)
Brought to the sale by Elisabeth Freed, flat-topped aster (formerly Aster umbellatus), is a perennial with clusters of white petals and yellow center disks on 5’ stalks. The alternately-attached leaves are simple, rounded, toothless spears with short hairs that add texture. Flat-topped aster begins to bloom in July, much earlier than most asters, and spreads by underground rhizomes as well as by seed. It enjoys wet-to-moist soil in full sunlight. A wide variety of pollinators are attracted to the nectar and pollen of the flowers, including long- and
