Rudbeckia hirta Prairie Sun | Black-Eyed Susan | Cut Flower

Rudbeckia hirta ‘Prairie Sun’ is an award-winning Rudbeckia with spectacular golden-yellow flowers and a distinctive fresh green centre. The large blooms reach up to 15 cm across and are held on strong, upright stems, making Prairie Sun an excellent variety for both the garden and cut flower production.

Unlike the classic dark-centred Black-Eyed Susan, Prairie Sun has a light green eye, surrounded by golden petals with softer lemon-yellow tips. This unusual colouring gives the flowers a fresh, luminous appearance and makes them especially beautiful in summer bouquets.

Prairie Sun is a Fleuroselect Gold Medal and All-America Selections winner, recognised for its vigorous growth, impressive flowers and excellent garden performance.

Plant Information

• Botanical name: Rudbeckia hirta
• Variety: Prairie Sun
• Common name: Black-Eyed Susan / Gloriosa Daisy
• Type: Usually grown as an annual
• Height: Approx. 75 cm
• Width: Approx. 35 cm
• Flower size: Up to 15 cm
• Flower colour: Golden yellow with lemon-yellow tips
• Centre: Light green
• Exposure: Full sun
• Flowering: Summer – autumn
• Use: Cut flowers, borders, beds, containers and cottage gardens
• Heat tolerance: Very good

How Long from Seed to Flower?

Allow approximately:

Spring sowing: 15–18 weeks = 105–126 days

Summer sowing: 13–15 weeks = 91–105 days

These are professional crop-time estimates under suitable growing conditions. For home gardeners, temperature, light levels and growing conditions can make flowering earlier or later.

For example, seeds started indoors in March–April can generally produce flowers during summer. Early sowing is recommended when Prairie Sun is being grown specifically for cut flowers.

Sowing & Germination

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

Sow 2–3 seeds per plug onto moist, well-drained seed compost. Press gently into the surface and cover only very lightly.

Germination temperature: 20–22 °C
Germination time: approximately 8–14 days.

Keep the substrate evenly moist but never waterlogged.

Growing On

Once established, transplant seedlings into larger cells or pots.

Ideal growing temperatures are approximately:

• Day: 15–18 °C
• Night: 10–13 °C

Plant outside after the danger of frost has passed.

Choose a warm, sunny position with well-drained soil. Prairie Sun loves summer warmth and performs particularly well in full sun.

Light & Flowering

Prairie Sun is a long-day plant. Long summer days are important for initiating flowering.

Approximately 14 hours or more of daylight promotes flower initiation once the plants are sufficiently mature.

This makes Prairie Sun naturally well suited to summer production in European gardens.

Watering & Feeding

Water regularly while young plants establish, but avoid permanently wet soil.

Once actively growing, feed moderately with a balanced flowering-plant fertiliser. Avoid excessive nitrogen, which can encourage too much leafy growth at the expense of strong flowering.

Excellent Cut Flower

Prairie Sun is an outstanding Rudbeckia for the cut flower garden.

The combination of strong stems, huge flowers and unusual green centres makes it especially valuable for summer and early-autumn bouquets.

Regular cutting and removal of faded flowers encourages plants to continue producing new blooms.

Flowering Season

Prairie Sun flowers generously through summer and into autumn. With regular deadheading or harvesting for bouquets, plants can continue producing flowers for an extended period.

The large blooms also have good resistance to summer weather thanks to their sturdy stems.

Why Grow Prairie Sun?

The distinctive green centre is what makes Prairie Sun particularly special. Combined with golden-yellow petals and pale lemon tips, it creates a softer and more contemporary look than traditional dark-centred Rudbeckias.

At approximately 75 cm tall, it is high enough for cutting while remaining manageable in borders and mixed plantings.

It combines beautifully with cosmos, zinnias, snapdragons, ornamental grasses, amaranthus and other summer cut flowers.

Perfect for

Cut flower gardens • Summer bouquets • Sunny borders • Cottage gardens • Naturalistic planting • Containers • Pollinator gardens

Rudbeckia hirta ‘Prairie Sun’ is an excellent choice for anyone looking for an easy-to-grow, award-winning cut flower with huge golden blooms, strong stems and a truly distinctive green centre.