Rudbeckia 'Goldsturm': a glorious floral display in late summer and early autumn
Rudbeckia ‘Goldsturm' is a real ‘must have’ plant for late summer and early autumn. With beautifully simple, daisy-like large golden-coloured flowers, borne on stems of 50-100cm tall, it is perfect for adding late summer/early autumn colour and height to any border. On a good year, the floral display will begin in August and last well into late autumn, making it a truly wonderful plant for bridging the seasons.
Although R. ‘Goldsturm’ prefers a sunny position it can also cope with dappled shade, and is happy in most soil types providing they are not prone to waterlogging. It will withstand all but the worst of the typical late summer/early autumn storms, and is sufficiently hardy to survive our colder British winters. It will grow in pots and containers, but we always prefer to see it planted directly in the ground if possible.
From a garden design point of view, we love to use R. ‘Goldsturm’ to add height and interest in the middle of a mixed planting border. We like to plant it in groups of 3 or 5, and it looks spectacularly good ‘drifting’ in amongst other plants. It is especially attractive alongside ornamental grasses. Stipa tenuissima and Stipa gigantea are two of our favourite companions for R. ‘Goldsturm’, but most of the Miscanthus family of grasses also work well. For other companion planting options, consider Callicarpa bodinieri, with its gloriously bright purple berries, or the always wonderful Verbena bonariensis.
We rarely design a planting scheme without including Rubbeckia ‘Goldsturm’, and we certainly wouldn’t want to be without it in our own gardens. For early autumn floral colour and interest it is hard to beat, particularly when planting in numbers to create bold and confident groups. Simply wonderful.
Tythorne Garden Design provides professional fixed-fee garden design solutions for customers in Grantham, Stamford, Newark and surrounding areas. Let's see how we can help you to enjoy your garden more. Call us on 07900 224 239 or 01529 455 355.