Kelvedon Star Rudbeckia Seeds

A Mahogany Star on Every Big Bloom!
Blooms the first year from seed!
Genus: Rudbeckia
Species: hirta
Variety: ‘Kelvedon Star’
Item Form: (P) Pkt of 25 seeds
Zone: 5 – 8
Bloom Start to End: Mid Summer – Mid Fall
Habit: Upright
Seeds Per Pack: 25
Plant Height: 2 ft 6 in – 3 ft
Plant Width: 18 in
Bloom Size: 4 in
Additional Characteristics: Bird Lovers, Bloom First Year, Butterfly Lovers, Cut-and-Come-Again, Direct Sow, Easy Care Plants, Flower, Free Bloomer, Needs Deadheading, Repeat Bloomer
Bloom Color: Brown, Gold, Multi-Color
Foliage Color: Medium Green
Light Requirements: Full Sun, Part Shade
Moisture Requirements: Dry, Moist,  well-drained
Resistance: Deer Resistance, Disease Resistant, Drought Tolerant, Heat Tolerant, Humidity Tolerant, Pest Resistant
Soil Tolerance: Normal,  loamy
Uses: Wildflowers, Beds, Border, Containers, Cut Flowers, Outdoor

Magnificent golden petals are each patterned with a deep brown brushstroke, creating a star on every 4-inch bloom! These long-stemmed flowers make great cuts, but also attract pollinators and stand up to heat, drought, salt spray, and poor soil. And the best part? They bloom the first year form a late-winter indoor sowing!

Bred from the native Rudbeckia hirta species Kelvedon Star is a bicolor Black-eyed Susan with masses and masses of 4-inch blooms. The outstretched petals are deep, rich golden, each marked with a stroke of brown near the base. Seen together, these markings create a perfect star on every flower!

Stunning in cutflower bouquets, Kelvedon Star is also a huge draw in the garden, where butterflies and bees visit in summer, songbirds in fall (as the seeds dry in the large central brown cone).

Kelvedon Star reaches up to 3 feet high in full bloom, and spreads about 18 inches wide. The blooms begin in midsummer and continue steadily through fall. You won’t believe how productive this biennial is!

Best in average to dry soil, Kelvedon Star is quite tolerant of drought after its first season of growth. Insects and other pests (including nibbling rabbits and deer) tend to leave it alone, and its native vigor ensures that it can withstand tough environmental conditions. This is a plant to put front and center in the cutting garden, use as a ribbon of color through the sunny to lightly shaded garden, and perhaps even pot up. Grow it as a biennial or short-lived perennial. Zones 5-8.