California Coneflower

Rudbeckia californica

Taxonomy

Division:
Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
Family:
Asteraceae
Genus:
Rudbeckia
Species:
Rudbeckia californica

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:
Perennial
Growth Habit:
Forb/herb
Height:
6-8 ft
Light Requirements:
Full Sun
Drought Tolerance:
High
Bloom Months:
jun, jul, aug, sep, oct, nov
Bloom Colors:
Yellow, Green

Native Range

United States: California

Keystone Species Ranking

Caterpillar Keystone:
★★★★☆ Based on number of butterfly and moth species using this genus as host plant (Source: National Wildlife Federation)
Bee Keystone:
★★☆☆☆ Based on number of native bee species using this genus for pollen and nectar (Source: National Wildlife Federation)

Reported Fauna Sightings

Bees: Fuzzy-horned bumble bee (Bombus mixtus), Fuzzy-horned bumble bee (Bombus mixtus), Indiscriminate cuckoo bumble bee (Bombus insularis), Indiscriminate cuckoo bumble bee (Bombus insularis), Yellow head bumble bee (Bombus flavifrons), Yellow head bumble bee (Bombus flavifrons), Yellow-faced bumble bee (Bombus vosnesenskii), Yellow-faced bumble bee (Bombus vosnesenskii)

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:
rich, well-drained loamy soil
pH:
5.5 - 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)
Drainage:
excellent drainage required
Moisture:
consistently moist
Notes:
prefers habitats near streams or wet meadows

Germination Information

Pre-treatment: Single-step cold-moist stratification for temperate woodland species. for 60–120 days

Notes: Seeds germinate readily without pretreatment.

Source: OpenAI GPT-4o