orange coneflower

Rudbeckia fulgida Aiton

Orange coneflower builds its display on a lasting perennial framework. Spreading stems produce new leaf rosettes, gradually forming patches rather than relying entirely on fresh seedlings each year. In North Carolina gardens, basal foliage can remain green through winter. The leafy flowering stems usually branch and carry several dark-centered heads. Consortium of Midwest Herbaria: Rudbeckia fulgida, Flora of North America treatment NC State Extension: Rudbeckia fulgida

Botanical name

Rudbeckia fulgida Aiton is accepted in Asteraceae. This profile uses the broad species concept of Flora of North America. USDA GRIN Taxonomy: Rudbeckia fulgida Consortium of Midwest Herbaria: Rudbeckia fulgida, Flora of North America treatment

Recognizing the plant

The leaves range from lance-shaped to broadly oval and are not lobed. Their surfaces may be nearly smooth or noticeably hairy, and their edges vary from entire to toothed. Each head has a low, rounded to egg-shaped center surrounded by a single row of yellow or orange rays. Flora of North America records about ten to fifteen rays per head. The tiny dry fruits carry only a low crownlike rim, not a conspicuous tuft of hairs. Consortium of Midwest Herbaria: Rudbeckia fulgida, Flora of North America treatment

Bloom window

British cultivation

In British cultivation, the RHS records flowering from mid-to-late summer into early autumn. RHS: Rudbeckia fulgida

Native range

Native populations occur in the eastern United States. Regional floras associate the species with woods and moist places; North Carolina records include Piedmont patches and river floodplains near the Coastal Plain. Consortium of Midwest Herbaria: Rudbeckia fulgida, Flora of North America treatment Vascular Plants of North Carolina: Rudbeckia fulgida

Botanical sources

Reviewed 2026-10-11. Seasonal development varies with location and growing conditions.