Rudbeckia hirta Sunbeckia® 'Luna' – 'Luna' Black-Eyed Susan

Rudbeckia 'Luna', a dazzling variety of Black-Eyed Susan from the Sunbeckia® series, is renowned for its exceptionally large and long-lasting flowers. Grown as an annual, this robust plant displays a spectacle of warm colours all summer long. Despite the diversity of varieties in this line, the fundamental characteristics and care requirements remain similar, ensuring reliable performance and a striking visual appeal.

Characteristics

• Foliage: The plant forms a dense clump of green foliage that provides a solid base for the flower stems.
• Flowering: It produces an abundant and continuous bloom from summer until fall. The particularly large flowers display a spectacular colour gradient: the inner petals reveal a rich, dark orange that transitions to a brilliant golden yellow at the tips. A dark central cone anchors the flower.
• Light: It thrives in full sun, where it puts on its most generous floral display. It also adapts to partial shade.
• Habit: It develops a bushy, upright, and well-branched habit.
• Growth: With a medium growth rate, it forms a mound that reaches a height and spread of 36 to 41 cm (15-18 inches).
• Moisture: It requires average watering to get established.
• Soil: It adapts well to average, well-drained garden soil.
• Temperature: It performs very well during summer heat.
• Watering: Once established, it handles short periods of drought well.
• Resistance: This variety resists deer well.

Uses

• Types of Use: Its compact size and visual impact make it an excellent choice for mass plantings, borders, and garden beds. It is also spectacular in containers, where it can play the role of a "thriller."
• Ornamental Features: The bicolour flowers with their fiery finish create a warm and bright focal point in any landscape design. Its long blooming season guarantees a reliable and colourful presence throughout the season.

Care

• Fertilizing: Apply a balanced fertilizer at the beginning of the season and again in mid-summer to support its continuous and vigorous flowering.
• Pruning: Remove faded flowers as they appear to encourage the plant to focus its energy on producing new blooms.
• Planting: Plant in the spring, after all risk of frost has passed. Space plants 36 to 41 cm apart to create a beautiful massed effect.