The Perennial Plant Association has named Rudbeckia ‘American Gold Rush’ as the 2023 Perennial of the Year. Golden-yellow flowers with black centers stand about two feet tall and completely cover the dome-like habit of green foliage. This Black-Eyed Susan is a far improvement over the old standard, ‘Goldsturm’, due to its resistance to Septoria leaf spot. ‘American Gold Rush’ shows no signs of the fungus and instead maintains clean foliage even in wet, humid conditions. One of our favorite features of this plant is how long it blooms, with an abundance of sunny, golden flowers putting on a show from July through September, with some color lasting until frost.
This easy to grow perennial blooms best in full sun, but will also do well in partial shade. It grows to a height of two feet tall with a spread of three feet, and is hardy to zone 4. The flowers are attractive to butterflies and hold up well in cut flower arrangements. As with most perennials, we suggest planting in groups of at least three, however, a mass planting of five, seven or more would make a fantastic display. Rudbeckia pairs well in the garden with Echinacea (Coneflower), Perovskia (Russian Sage), and Sedum (Stonecrop).