The most beautiful sun hat types at a glance

Rudbeckia are particularly easy-care and richly blooming perennials for every garden. We give an overview of the most beautiful sun hat varieties and types.

The sunhat (Rudbeckia), also called rudbeckia, is one of the most popular garden shrubs. We present the most beautiful forms of the rudbeckia.

Types of coneflowers: how many are there?

The coneflower comes from North America, where it occurs wild in various habitats from wet meadows and savannahs to mountain landscapes. The genus of the sun hats includes around 20 species of rudbeckia, which on average are between 50 and 300 cm high. Usually they form yellow, sometimes red-orange to red-brown ray florets. The black-brown centers, which set a clear contrast to the colored petals, are typical of the rudbeckia.

Is echinacea and coneflower the same thing? The sun hat shouldn't go with the Mock sun hat (Echinacea purpurea) can be confused. Although both have similar flowers and belong to the same family of Asteraceae plants, they are not closely related. While the sun hat is also important as a medicinal plant, rudbeckia are used exclusively as an ornamental shrub and in floristry.

The most beautiful sun hat types and varieties at a glance

The various sun hats differ in their location requirements as well as the height, color and shape of the flowers. We provide an overview of the most beautiful sun hat types and varieties for the garden.

Slit-leaved coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata)

The slit-leaved sun hat shows, as the name suggests, deeply slit to pinnate leaves. The hardy perennials reach a height of over 200 cm. The ideal location for the vigorous and partly runners-up plants is on fresh to moist, well-drained and moderately nutrient-rich soils in sunny locations. The best-known varieties of the slit-leaved coneflower form double flowers with a diameter of up to 15 cm and look yellow at first glance Dahlias (Dahlia) think.

• ‘Gold Ball‘: Vigorous, double, yellow coneflower with strong runners and large, double flowers. The variety can reach heights of 180 - 200 cm and is particularly suitable for planting fences, as this increases stability.
• ‘Source of gold‘: Stable sun hat variety with a height of 70 - 80 cm and strong spreading through runners. The flowering period extends from August to September.

Parachute coneflower (Rudbeckia nitida)

The parachute sun hat is a tall perennial up to 200 cm and forms large, pale yellow, pendent ray-flowers around a green-brown center. It prefers moist to fresh, loamy and very nutrient-rich soils in sunny locations, also at the edge of the water. Snails prefer to eat this coneflower species, which is why it may be necessary to protect the young plants. The flowering period is between August and September.

• ‘Autumn sun‘: Sun hat with a height of 150 - 200 cm. The flowering period of the moisture-loving perennial begins in August.
• ‘Juligold‘: At 180 cm, the yellow coneflower grows slightly lower than ‘Autumn Sun and begins to flower as early as July.

Missouri coneflower (Rudbeckia missouriensis)

The Missouri coneflower has a more filigree growth than many other types of coneflowers. The prairie shrub reaches a stature height of up to 40 cm and forms lily-like, elongated leaves. The radiant petals shine in light yellow and are arranged slightly hanging around the button-like, brown center. The flowering period is between July and September. The Missouri coneflower prefers fresh soils, but can withstand dry summers well.

October coneflower (Rudbeckia triloba)

The broad, bushy October coneflower forms dense clumps with a height of up to 130 cm. The small flowers with a black center appear en masse in autumn and serve as a valuable source of food between August and October in early autumn when there are few flowers. The October coneflower is a biennial plant that is sustained by self-sowing in suitable locations.

• "Blackjack Gold": Stable, heavily branched up to 100 cm high, yellow flowering sun hat with good drought tolerance. The numerous, small, sun-yellow flowers attract numerous bees and butterflies until October.
• ‘Prairie Glow‘: Approx. 100 - 120 cm high variety with flowering time from August to October. The color of the ‘Prairie Glow sun hat is reminiscent of the Cockade flower (Gaillardia), as it initially forms deep red flowers with yellow tips, which later change to a bronze to orange color.

Common coneflower (Rudbeckia fulgida)

This most famous of all coneflower species can be found in numerous gardens. The densely bushy and fast-growing perennials reach an average height of 60-100 cm. The golden-yellow ray-flowers bloom around their conical, arched, black-brown center from July to October. The common coneflower prefers to grow in fresh, humus-rich and nutrient-rich soils in full sun.

• ‘Gold storm‘: The popular Rudbeckia ‘Goldsturm‘ is considered to be a particularly flowering and easy-care variety. It is particularly common in cottage gardens and can grow to be 60 - 80 cm high.
• ‘Little Goldstar‘: Coneflower variety of smaller stature with compact growth up to 50 cm. The rudbeckia ‘Little Goldstar‘ flowers between August and October.

Rough coneflower (Rudbeckia hirta)

The rough sun hat is also called the black-eyed rudbeckia. The perennials, which are around 100 cm high and 60 cm wide, form underground, frost-hardy rhizomes from which they sprout again in spring. Some varieties of Rudbeckia hirta however, they are annual and have to be re-sown every year. This species prefers sunny to partially shaded locations on well drained, nutrient-rich soils.

• ‘Autumn Colors‘: Sun hat with attractive flower color in all autumn colors from yellow to orange to deep red. The annual variety grows bushy between 60-100 cm high and flowers from August to October.
• ‘Cherry Brandy‘: Rudbeckia with unusual red hues between strawberry and cherry red. This perennial, red coneflower becomes 60 cm high and flowers between June and October.
• ‘Autumn forest‘: Sun hat with an attractive color gradient from yellow to wine red. The annual to perennial plants reach heights of up to 80 cm and multiply by sowing them in the bed.

• 'Maya': The small rudbeckia ‘Maya‘ becomes about 50 cm high and forms half-filled, yellow inflorescences around a red-brown center.
• ‘Sunbeckia Ophelia‘: Compact growing, not winter hardy variety up to 60 cm, which is particularly suitable for container culture. The rudbeckia ‘Sunbeckia Ophelia‘ forms large, yellow flowers around a yellow-green center and blooms into autumn.
• ‘Toto Gold’: Dwarf coneflower with a height of 35 cm and large, small, golden yellow flowers between July and September.

Giant Coneflower (Rudbeckia maxima)

The beginner-friendly giant sun hat can be up to 300 cm high and forms eye-catching flowers with a 5 cm high brown center, which is surrounded by slightly hanging sun-yellow ray-flowers will. The large leaves are ovate and blue-gray in color. The clumpy perennials are 70 - 80 cm wide and prefer nutrient-rich, fresh to moist soils, also at the edge of the water, in full sun to partial shade. The flowering time of the giant coneflower is between August and September.

Weak felted coneflower (Rudbeckia subtomentosa)

The weak felted sun hat is completely covered with fine hairs. The 100 - 150 cm high perennials show a special flower shape: Filigree light yellow tubular flowers, which open into a wider tip. The species blooms for a very long time between July and September and is particularly suitable for planting sunny wooded edges with soil that is not too dry. The best-known varieties are ‘Henry Eilers‘ and ‘Little Henry‘ with a lower growth height of 90 - 110 cm.

Western coneflower (Rudbeckia occidentalis)

The western coneflower comes from the western United States and has no colored petals. Instead, the large, blackish-brown bulbous flower heads, which are surrounded by green bracts, catch the eye. The large, serrated foliage shimmers in a silvery green. The perennial reaches a stature height of up to 100 cm and prefers moist to fresh soils in full sun. Despite the lack of petals, the peculiar western coneflower is often visited by bees between July and October and is used in floristry. The most important variety of this type of coneflower is ‘Green Wizard‘.

Once the right species and variety has been selected for a location, the next step is planting. You can find out the most important measures and the exact procedure in our article Plant and propagate coneflower.