Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii “Goldsturm”
Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii “Goldsturm”
Family: Asteraceae
Common names: Coneflower
Areas of the garden where the plant is found: The Prairie, where it can be seen near the Rhododendron beds, by Principality House in the Mediterranean beds and outside the main entrance to the gardens.
Description: “Goldsturm” is a cultivated variety of Rudbeckia fulgida var.sullivantii, an herbaceous perennial meadow plant up to 90 cm in height, stoloniferous, with leaves alternate. Basal leaves are elliptic to ovate, coarsely toothed, borne on leaf stalks 5-20 cms in length and roughly hairy. The disc flowers are dark brownish-purple; the yellow ray flowers are sterile and 2.5 –4 cm in length. Flowers may be held either singly or in corymb-like arrays of 2-7 per stem.
Distribution, habitat and conservation status: Rudbeckia fulgida var sullivantii is fairly widely distributed in N.E. USA, reaching as far west as Michigan and Illinois. It is a plant of damp meadows, fens, shorelines and swamps. It is not considered under threat in the wild.
Derivation of name:
Rudbeckia commemorates Olof Rudbeck jr (1660-1740), Professor of Medicine at Uppsala University and a patron and teacher of Linnaeus. Rudbeck’s father, who preceded him as Professor of Medicine, was a polymath who had been instrumental in creating the first true botanical garden in Sweden, now restored and known as the Linnaeus garden.
The specific epithet fulgida can be translated “gleaming”. It refers simply to the shining golden-yellow of this plant in flower.
History of plant: The cultivated variety “Goldsturm” is thought to have originated as a selection in Gebrueder Schuetz’ nursery in Czechoslovakia where it was spotted by Heinrich Hagemann in 1937. He recognised the quality of the plants and drew them to the attention of his employer, the famous breeder Karl Foerster, who propagated and launched the plant in 1949. It has been appreciated by gardeners ever since.
Cultivation: Easily grown in full sun on moderately fertile soils. The plants tolerate partial shade and will thrive best on heavier soils with plenty of available moisture. Generally raised from seed: at NBG Wales, the plants are all from good seed strains rather than division.
“Goldsturm” needs no staking.
References
RHS Dictionary
University of Uppsala website: http://www.systbot.uu.se/information/history/rudbeck.htm
Perennial Plant Association website: www.perennialplant.org
