Sweet Coneflower (Rudbeckia subtomentosa)
Sweet Coneflower has a very high value to pollinators. Its bright yellow flowers are visited by numerous bees, moths, butterflies, and skippers (illinoiswildflowers.info), and it is the host plant to a whopping 30 different specialist bees (Johnson and Colla, 2023)!! Sweet Coneflower is a host plant for the Silvery Checkerspot and 19 other species of butterflies and moths in our area (nwf.org), including the threatened Gorgone checkerspot (Butterflies and Moths of North America). It is presumed extirpated (legally 'threatened' if rediscovered) in Michigan, so while you may not be preserving the plant that was once here, you are creating habitat for all of the species that need it for survival (mnfi.anr.msu.edu). It is a great plant to have in the landscape.
Photo credit: Aaron Volkening
Sweet Coneflower has a very high value to pollinators. Its bright yellow flowers are visited by numerous bees, moths, butterflies, and skippers (illinoiswildflowers.info), and it is the host plant to a whopping 30 different specialist bees (Johnson and Colla, 2023)!! Sweet Coneflower is a host plant for the Silvery Checkerspot and 19 other species of butterflies and moths in our area (nwf.org), including the threatened Gorgone checkerspot (Butterflies and Moths of North America). It is presumed extirpated (legally 'threatened' if rediscovered) in Michigan, so while you may not be preserving the plant that was once here, you are creating habitat for all of the species that need it for survival (mnfi.anr.msu.edu). It is a great plant to have in the landscape.
Photo credit: Aaron Volkening
Sweet Coneflower has a very high value to pollinators. Its bright yellow flowers are visited by numerous bees, moths, butterflies, and skippers (illinoiswildflowers.info), and it is the host plant to a whopping 30 different specialist bees (Johnson and Colla, 2023)!! Sweet Coneflower is a host plant for the Silvery Checkerspot and 19 other species of butterflies and moths in our area (nwf.org), including the threatened Gorgone checkerspot (Butterflies and Moths of North America). It is presumed extirpated (legally 'threatened' if rediscovered) in Michigan, so while you may not be preserving the plant that was once here, you are creating habitat for all of the species that need it for survival (mnfi.anr.msu.edu). It is a great plant to have in the landscape.
Photo credit: Aaron Volkening
Life Cycle: Perennial
Sun Exposure: Full-Partial shade
Soil Moisture: Medium/wet – Dry
Height: 3-6 feet
Plant Spacing: 2-3 feet
Bloom Time: August-October
Bloom Color: Yellow
Advantages: Caterpillar Favorite, Pollinator Favorite, Bird Favorite, Deer Resistant, Great Landscaping plant
Host Plant: 20 species of butterflies and moths use this as a caterpillar host plant in our area (nwf.org)
Specialist Bee: Andrena rudbeckiae, Perdita albipennis, Pseudopanurgus albitarsis, P. andrenoides, P. compositarum, P. labrosiformis, P. labrosus, P. rugosus, P. solidaginis, Melissodes denticulatus, M. agilis, M. bidentis, M. boltoniae, M. coloradensis, M. confuses, M. druriellus, M. illatus, M. microstictus, M. subillatus, M. trinodis, M. vernoniae, M. wheeleri, Svastra obliqua, S. petulca, Paranthidium jugatorium, Megachile pugnata, M. inimica, M. parallela, M. xylocopoides, Colletes americanus, and C. compactus (Johnson and Colla, 2023)
Beneficial for Endangered or Threatened Species: Gorgone checkerspot (Butterflies and Moths of North America)
Resource: Johnson, Lorraine, and Sheila Colla. A Northern Gardener’s Guide to Native Plants and Pollinators: Creating Habitat in the Northeast, Great Lakes, and Upper Midwest. Island Press, 2023
