Rudbeckia 'Green Wizard'

Looking like a plucked daisy, this Rudbeckia sports long, thin green sepals and a giant, pointy deep purple to black cone (the size and shape of a large strawberry)! Wonderfully attention-getting in the garden, 'Green Wizard' is also welcome as an Everlasting, where its ultra-strong stems support these stylish cones for months on end, adding interesting texture and tall vertical effect to bouquets, centerpieces, and decorations of all types.

'Green Wizard' is from a species of Rudbeckia native to the moist mountain meadows of the northwestern United States. Unlike some other Rudbeckia varieties (Goldsturm Strain, Denver Daisy, etc.), it is not drought-tolerant, needing consistent moisture but also good soil drainage to thrive. Where it is happy, it quickly shoots up 3 to 5 feet tall, up to 2 feet wide, and begins setting blooms by the many dozen.

'Green Wizard' is a cut-and-come-again variety, so the faster you pick the first flowers, the quicker you get a rebloom. The show begins in midsummer in most climates and continues through early fall. It is simply magnificent!

Like other Rudbeckias, 'Green Wizard' flourishes in full sun -- and although it will grow and bloom in a bit of shade, the stems may be weaker, causing them to flop beneath the heavy weight of those seed-filled cones. It is very adaptable to different soils, stands up to pests and diseases beautifully, and boasts a certain amount of deer resistance. (Always a claim to be taken with a grain of salt -- a hungry herd of deer will eat absolutely anything in the garden!) It naturalizes readily and makes a fine companion to just about every other perennial flowering plant, its wildly unique blooms setting it apart from all others.

To dry the flowers, simply cut the stem as close to the base as you can, remove any foliage, and hang upside-down in a well-ventilated, dry location for several weeks. Zones 3-9. Pkt is 20 seeds.