Meet Little Henry Rudbeckia, for late-flowering food for bees

Let me introduce you to a variety of black-eyed Susan I adore – ‘Little Henry’. Standing at just 24” to 30”, it’s a petite version of the classic tall black-eyed susan, he has the most interesting rolled petals. These flowers are exquisite in flower arrangements and a favorite among bees. As summer starts to fade, that is when ‘Little Henry’ starts blooming, ensuring your garden has late-season color and food for bees too. I use this in low maintenance planting plans as well as those for gardeners.  My photo was taken in October. Some native bees won’t visit this hybridized fancy flower because it doesn’t look like our native.  Other bees are delighted.

Low-Maintenance Bee Feeding Perennial Plants with Showy Flowers

For those seeking easy plants, rudbeckia fulgida ‘Little Gold Star’ is your hero. These resilient mounding plants maintain a neat shape and, after a couple of years, accept less watering (not no watering!) .  They pair well with the hardy spanish lavender, thriving in hot sun conditions while adding a continuous summer display that starts in July, like clockwork, ending in late October.

Rudbeckia ‘Herbstonne’ offers tall perennial perfection

At 4′ to 5′ one of my tallest favorite black-eyed susan is the rudbeckia laciniata ‘Herbstonne’. It’s a dramatic large flower with months-long blooming, perfect for sunlit spaces where it stands tall without staking. I can use it in part sun too but it will need staking or a big cut back in May to create shorter flowering stems that won’t flop.  Who wants to stake plants?  Not me.  The flower is a knock out so check out this close up photo link.

These blooms transition beautifully from garden to vase, becoming part of my end-of-summer floral arrangement ritual.

Two Kinds of Black-Eyed Susan – Know the Difference for Best Results in Your Portland Garden

There are two main kinds: the short-lived biennials with their fuzzy leaves and long-lived perennials with smooth, shiny foliage. In the Pacific NW, the self-seeding biennials can be a gardener’s companion, popping up here and there and flowering more profusely than their perennial cousins. But if maintenance (pulling up seedings that planted themselves where you don’t want them), isn’t your thing, the perennial types of rudbeckia featured in this blog might be your best bet.  The perennial forms also have consistent heights and appearance.  Seed generated plants can be quite different from one another and are a good lesson in genetics.  Remember Mendels peas?

Contact Me

Do you want a thoughtful planting plan focused design for color and visual satisfaction, or to feed pollinators and birds, or a low maintenance back yard to share with your dog that still feeds the bees?  You can have beauty, low maintenance and pollinator friendly plantings, just ask us to create it for you.  I return phone calls and respond quickly to contact forms.

Growing Joy: My Love for Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia) and Other Garden Favorites

Let’s get to know black-eyed susan (rudbeckia) for colorful pollinator friendly Portland landscapes and gardens.

Welcome to Portland Oregon, my little corner of the world where greenery thrives, colors burst, and landscapes transform into picturesque retreats. I’m Carol, and as a landscape designer, my passion is creating spaces that you can feel connected to, whether sipping your morning cup of Joe in your garden or inviting bees to dance among the blooms. Today, I want to chat up one of my perennial favorites that I use often in my landscape designs–the charming black-eyed susan (rudbeckia).

Wildflower Wonder at Meriwether Farms in NW Portland

Imagine a sea of colorful summer flower with rudbeckia, echinacea, japanese silver grass ‘Morning Light’, lavander and the hot orange flower flutes of crocosmia all swaying in unison. At the heart, the bold black-eyed susan (rudbeckia) steals the show. It’s vibrant and resilient, and it partners beautifully in wildflower-style plantings and foundation plantings, creating a feast for both the eyes and the friendly pollinators.

Bee Heaven in NW Portland

In this lovely Northwest garden designed by my colleague Alana and me, a palette of black-eyed susan, blanket flower, and echinops (yes, an ornamental thistle that bees can’t get enough of) create a carefree-looking dreamscape. While the winter weather definitely strips away the colorful beauty of this pollinator garden (leaving it looking admittedly a bit desolate), our client embraces that cycle—it leaves the seed heads intact for birds to feed on in the winter.

Create Pollinator Friendly and Satisfying Plant Pairings with Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia)

Please know there are so many plants that work well as companions for black-eyed susan.  For the more drought-tolerant biennial types of black-eyed susan put them with very low water plants like Silver Daisy Bush (senecio grayi) a fabulous silver green evergreen foliaged plant, or blue/lavender colored flowers of Echinops an ornamental thistle. For a tough low maintenance front yard add more evergreen with a true dwarf mugo pine or even common as dirt, juniper ‘Blue Star’.  My clients who live for plants love rudbeckia, but they are great for the low maintenance client crowd too.

Contact Me

Do you want a thoughtful planting plan focused design for color and visual satisfaction, or to feed pollinators and birds, or a low maintenance back yard to share with your dog that still feeds the bees?  You can have beauty, low maintenance and pollinator friendly plantings, just ask us to create it for you.  I return phone calls and respond quickly to our contact forms!