Rudbekia and Coneflowers - What's the Difference?

Rudbekia and Coneflowers; these are names that you have probably heard used to describe some of the most common plants in the garden center. What's the difference? A better question might be, what's the relationship?

Rudbekia is one of four genera in the plant family Asteraceae...the others are Echinacea, Dracopsis and Ratibida. And before we get too far along...let me give you a (very) quick definition of genera:

A genus (plural: genera, from Greek: Latin genus "descent, family, type, gender") is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the classification of living and fossil organisms. The taxonomic ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus and species. -Wikipedia

So, Coneflowers is a common name that is used for a wide variety of flowers. It can be easy to get confused when people use the common and latin names interchangeably...But no worries, you can always ask for assistance at the nursery or do a bit of research online to find out more about the various plants.

The two you are most likely to run across are Echinacea and Rudbekia. Looking at the photos here, you can tell there is an aesthetic difference between the two. However, they behave much the same in the garden. They like full sun, can withstand low water when established, spread relatively easily through seeds and clumps and bloom over and over until first frost. They are resilient, low care plants that, once established, offer great return for little care.

These plants are hardy and have some of the most beautiful flowers...give them a try!

Jean Ann Van Krevelen is a garden coach and garden writer. She can be found digging in the dirt at Gardener to Farmer, http://www.gardenertofarmer.net

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