(Rudbeckia fulgida ‘Goldsturm’) One of our favorite fall plants! They first come into bloom with their cheery golden flowers right when early summer perennials are starting to fade.

They then team up with other end-of-season bloomers like asters, autumn joy sedum, and echinacea to create a final blast of color. As their flower petals drop in October, black cone shaped seed heads (hence their common name) add to the feeling of Halloween by creating a subtle spookiness in the garden. This doesn’t last long as gold finches and other song birds soon devour the seeds. It’s a real joy to grab a cup of tea and sit quietly in the garden watching these agile creatures work meticulously at removing each tiny seed.