Name: Rudbeckia subtomentosa ‘Henry Eilers’ aka quilled petal black-eyed Susan

Type of Plant: This is a perennial that’s native to the USA. This named cultivar was found growing in the wild in Illinois and it typically grows 3 to 5 feet tall.

Why I love this: I’m fond of this plant because it’s very light in appearance and growth habit. It doesn’t hit you over the head with bold color like the more common black-eyed Susans do. Like most Rudbeckias this plant isn’t too fussy about soil types, and the flowers are nice in bouquets.

A Word to the Wise: It’s a narrow plant and not completely sturdy, so place this where it has other plants or structures for support. Grow this plant in full to part sun.

The quill petal Rudbeckia is a good plant to mix with others and plant next to a structure for support.