Rudbeckia hirta Maya | Black-Eyed Susan | Cut Flower

Rudbeckia hirta ‘Maya’ is a beautiful compact Rudbeckia producing fully double, bright golden-yellow flowers that resemble small pompons. Unlike the classic single-flowered Black-Eyed Susan, ‘Maya’ develops densely packed petals around the centre, creating full, highly decorative blooms up to approximately 10 cm across.

Growing to only around 45 cm tall, Maya combines a compact habit with excellent flowering performance. It is particularly suitable for cut flowers, sunny borders, flower beds, pots and containers.

Its strong summer performance and unusual double flowers make it an excellent choice for gardeners looking for a Rudbeckia that is both practical and distinctive.

Plant Information

• Botanical name: Rudbeckia hirta
• Variety: Maya
• Common name: Black-Eyed Susan
• Type: Usually grown as an annual
• Height: Approx. 45 cm
• Flower size: Approx. 10 cm
• Flower type: Fully double
• Flower colour: Bright golden yellow
• Exposure: Full sun
• Flowering: Summer – autumn
• Germination: Approx. 8–14 days
• Germination temperature: 20–22 °C
• Seed form: Pelleted seed
• Use: Cut flowers, beds, borders, pots, containers and landscape planting

How Long from Seed to Flower?

Under suitable growing conditions, allow approximately:

Spring sowing: 15–19 weeks = 105–133 days

Summer sowing: 12–15 weeks = 84–105 days

These are professional crop-time estimates. Actual flowering time can vary depending on temperature, light levels and growing conditions.

For earlier summer flowers, start the seeds indoors in spring.

Sowing & Germination

For earlier flowering, start seeds indoors approximately 6–8 weeks before the last expected frost.

Sow 2–3 seeds per plug into a fine, well-drained seed-starting substrate.

Keep the substrate evenly moist but avoid waterlogging.

Maintain a temperature of approximately 20–22 °C during germination. Under good conditions, seedlings should emerge in around 8–14 days.

Growing On

Once the seedlings have developed sufficiently, transplant them into larger cells or individual pots.

For steady growth, maintain approximately:

• Day: 15–18 °C
• Night: 10–13 °C

Rudbeckia prefers warmth. Temperatures below approximately 16 °C can significantly slow development and may cause reddish colouring of the foliage.

Maya is not frost tolerant, so plant outdoors only after the danger of frost has passed.

Light & Flowering

Maya is a long-day plant and requires long days to initiate flowering.

A day length of at least approximately 14 hours encourages flower initiation. Plants grown under days that are too short may remain vegetative for longer and flower later.

This makes the naturally long days of late spring and summer particularly suitable for flowering.

Position & Soil

Choose a warm position in full sun.

Maya performs best in fertile, well-drained soil. Avoid heavy, constantly wet ground, as good drainage is important for healthy root development.

When grown in containers, use a high-quality, free-draining potting mix.

Watering & Feeding

Water regularly while young plants establish, allowing the soil surface to dry slightly between waterings.

Maya benefits from moderate feeding during active growth. Avoid excessive nitrogen, as this can encourage soft leafy growth rather than compact plants and abundant flowering.

Compact Rudbeckia for Cut Flowers

Despite its relatively compact height of around 45 cm, Maya can also be grown as a cut flower.

Its unusual fully double golden-yellow blooms add strong colour and texture to summer arrangements and work particularly well in mixed garden-style bouquets.

For cut flower production, good light, adequate spacing and regular harvesting help encourage strong stems and continued flowering.

Long Summer Flowering

Once flowering begins, Maya provides a colourful display through summer and into autumn.

Regularly cut flowers for bouquets or remove spent blooms to encourage the plant to continue producing new flowers.

Why Grow Maya?

The biggest attraction of ‘Maya’ is its flower shape. Instead of the familiar single Rudbeckia flower with a prominent dark centre, Maya produces full, densely double yellow blooms.

Its compact growth also makes it particularly versatile. At approximately 45 cm tall, it works beautifully at the front or middle of borders and is an excellent choice for pots and containers, while still providing flowers suitable for cutting.

Perfect for

Cut flower gardens • Summer bouquets • Pots and containers • Sunny borders • Flower beds • Cottage gardens • Pollinator-friendly plantings

Rudbeckia hirta ‘Maya’ is an excellent choice for anyone looking for a compact, easy-to-grow Rudbeckia with fully double golden-yellow flowers that performs beautifully in containers, garden beds and summer bouquets.