Rudbeckia subtomentosa Little Henry

The Rudbeckia subtomentosa 'Little Henry' is a reduced model of the Henry Eilers variety. An amazing, nectar-rich perennial plant, and essential in a natural garden, it is also a compact and branched variety, very floriferous, flowering continuously from summer to autumn. Its original flowers are composed of a collar of rolled ligules, widening into a spatula at their tips, surrounding a very dark globular centre. Loved by insects and birds, this wild-looking plant will be appreciated by the gardener in flowerbeds, when its sunny flowering mixes with the colours of autumn. While it tolerates dry soils well, this rudbeckia is more beautiful in deep and moist soil, in full sun, but also in partial shade.

The Rudbeckia subtomentosa belongs to the aster family. This large perennial native to the American Midwest, the Ozark Mountains, and the southern Great Plains of the United States, grows wild in places as diverse as open wooded areas, dry or wet meadows, or along streams. The 'Little Henry' cultivar is a recent American introduction that stands out for its moderate growth and very original flowering, inherited from the Henry Eilers cultivar. It is a particularly robust and resistant perennial, capable of surviving drought, insensitive to strong winds, and able to adapt to difficult soils.

It forms a clump of sturdy and highly branched stems, reaching 80 to 90cm (32 to 35in) in height, with a spread of 60 to 70cm (24 to 28in). Its foliage is composed of entire, alternate, ovate and elongated leaves, with a pointed tip. They are thick and hairy and have a beautiful dark green colour. They are larger towards the base of the stem. When dried, the leaves exude a scent reminiscent of vanilla. When the flowering appears, usually in late summer, the spectacle continues, just as surprising: at the end of the long stems, solitary daisy-like heads appear, 6cm (2in) in diameter, with fully rolled golden yellow ligulate petals, with curiously flattened tips. They surround a prominent central cone, dark brown with purple highlights. The seeds left in place attract birds, such as feeding goldfinches and tits at the beginning of winter.

Take advantage of the strong presence of the rudbeckia to associate it with ephemeral flowering plants within a 'mix-border' in the spirit of cottage gardens. Choose varieties with softer, almost pastel shades to calm or even tame its conquering yellow. Positioned in the middle of a flowerbed, it will be most effective with asters, grasses (Panicum virgatum), liana garlands (clematis Grace, Nasturtiums), perennials (silver queen artemisia, white valerian, alabaster agastache and bergamot), and dahlia bulbs (bishop of Dover and Leicester varieties). Planted en masse in front of shrub flowerbeds, Rudbeckia 'Little Henry' will be magnificent when associated with the autumn foliage of deciduous euonymus, cotinus, Hydrangea quercifolia, Parrotia persica.