Looking like a plucked daisy, this Rudbeckia sports long, thin green sepals and a giant, pointy deep purple to black cone (the size and shape of a large strawberry)! Wonderfully attention-getting in the garden, 'Green Wizard' is also welcome as an Everlasting, where its ultra-strong stems support these stylish cones for months on end, adding interesting texture and tall vertical effect to bouquets, centerpieces, and decorations of all types.

'Green Wizard' is from a species of Rudbeckia native to the moist mountain meadows of the northwestern United States. Unlike some other Rudbeckia varieties (Goldsturm Strain, Denver Daisy, etc.), it is not drought-tolerant, needing consistent moisture but also good soil drainage to thrive. Where it is happy, it quickly shoots up 3 to 5 feet tall, up to 2 feet wide, and begins setting blooms by the many dozen.

'Green Wizard' is a cut-and-come-again variety, so the faster you pick the first flowers, the quicker you get a rebloom. The show begins in midsummer in most climates and continues through early fall. It is simply magnificent!

Like other Rudbeckias, 'Green Wizard' flourishes in full sun -- and although it will grow and bloom in a bit of shade, the stems may be weaker, causing them to flop beneath the heavy weight of those seed-filled cones. It is very adaptable to different soils, stands up to pests and diseases beautifully, and boasts a certain amount of deer resistance. (Always a claim to be taken with a grain of salt -- a hungry herd of deer will eat absolutely anything in the garden!) It naturalizes readily and makes a fine companion to just about every other perennial flowering plant, its wildly unique blooms setting it apart from all others.