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Michigan Gardener | July/August 2021 | MichiganGardener.com
www.PerennialResource.com
‘Little Goldstar’
Rudbeckia
Classic American plants that belong in every garden
I
n 1999, the Perennial Plant Association chose ‘Goldsturm’ rudbeckia (Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii ‘Goldsturm’) as Perennial Plant of the Year. It was an ideal candidate—simple to grow and care for, adaptable to nearly every part of the United States, and profuse-blooming with a compact, garden-friendly habit. Not new by any means, ‘Goldsturm’ was discovered in 1937 at a nursery in the Czech Republic. For decades, ‘Goldsturm’ was Karen the gold standard in garden rudBovio beckias. Sadly, just a few years af-
ter being named perennial of the year, a perfect storm of problems began to unfold for ‘Goldsturm.’ Three diseases—Septoria leaf spot, angular leaf spot, and downy mildew (different than the much more common and benign powdery mildew)—began to disfigure ‘Goldsturm’ plantings everywhere. The plants, which once provided great swaths of golden color, became masses of ugly foliage, marred by patchy purplish-brown spots that coalesced to encompass entire leaves. Flowering was diminished by the downy mildew, which, in ad-
Yesterday and tomorrow: A brief rudbeckia name history Oddly for an American genus, the name honors the Swedish botanist Olof Rudbeck (1630-1702) and his son Olof Rudbeck the Younger. The genus was named by Carl Linnaeus, the younger Rudbeck’s very famous student. Rudbeckias are sometimes referred to as coneflowers, and at one time, the genus dition to causing foliar lesions, also resulted in stunting and deformation of flower buds. To add insult to injury, an insect (rudbeckia psyllid) started to show up more frequently. Its nymphs feed on the underside of the leaves, resulting in the development of large purplish raised patches on the upper leaf surfaces. So serious was this trifecta of diseases
Echinacea (aka coneflower) was included within the genus Rudbeckia. Their close kinship can be seen in the new intergeneric hybrids (Echibeckia) that are now making their way into garden centers. Be aware that this new man-made genus is comprised exclusively of annuals (non-hardy perennials) at this point. (plus an insect) that nursery growers and gardeners found it nearly impossible to grow good specimens of a plant that for decades had been lauded as a top garden performer. In fact, my nursery made the difficult decision in 2008 to remove and destroy all ‘Goldsturm’ plants, both in nursery pots and in our gardens, in an attempt to eliminate the spores and overwintering insects from our property.
