Rudbeckia (Rudbeckia hirta Sahara) - A delightful mix of blooms for the flower garden.  Good heat tolerance and great for amateur cut flowers. Plant several of these beauties to add a gorgeous mix of subdued colors on large 4 inch semi double to double flowers. Flowers emerge in warm hues of caramel, antique rose, burnt sienna OR sandy yellow; each flaunt a large chocolate drop center. Long blooming plentiful flowers from mid-summer to fall. Will self-sow. Rudbeckia hirta Sahara is a favorite for cut-flower arrangements. Vases will overflow with its reliable abundant blooms. In meadows, along the roadside or in your garden bed, Rudbeckia are one of the most versatile and recognized perennials. Picture-perfect punctuated with butterflies and the goldfinches will love the seed.

The flowers open in hot, sun-soaked conditions, and once this plant is established, it doesn't mind unseasonable levels of heat, humidity, rain, cold, or even drought. Poor soil is no problem, though best blooming will be in enriched garden soil with adequate water. This plant reaches about 20 to 24 inches high and nearly as wide, with good branching and healthy foliage. More compact than wild Rudbeckia, it is a magnet for butterflies and bees in the summer garden, and in autumn the songbirds feast on the seed-filled black centers of every bloom!

Sahara Rudbeckia is an annual or sometimes biennial growing best in USDA zones 5 through 8. It will bloom the first summer if the seeds are begun early indoors. Pick or deadhead the blooms for even faster rebloom over two long seasons of glory!