Orange Coneflower (Rudbeckia fulgida)

Under most natural circumstances, Orange Coneflower would be found in very wet habitats including sedge meadows, fens and edges of swamps and other marshy areas.  That is if you were to ever find it in a natural setting.  According to the U of M Herbarium database, Rudbeckia fulgida has a C-Value of 9 out of 10 making it very rare and highly unlikely that you would encounter it in the wild (at least in southern Michigan where most of it's natural habitat has been destroyed).  In September, I was very fortunate to not only find this plant growing on our property, but to find it blooming (which means it will be producing seeds).  There were only one or two plants where I found it growing on the edge of a wooded area, where a thick patch of gray dogwood borders the yard.  The inflorescence is almost identical to that of Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) which is why I almost passed it by.  The leaves however, are very different in that they're larger, ovate in shape and have coarse-toothed margins.  Shown in the photo below, this specimen was found growing in a fine-textured clay/loam soil capable of holding lots of moisture which explains it's occurrence in an upland setting.  Despite the common name Orange Coneflower, this plant is actually in the same Genus as Black-Eyed Susan's (Rudbeckia).



Orange Coneflower (Rudbeckia fulgida)

Orange Coneflower (Rudbeckia fulgida)

Conversely, Black-Eyed Susan rates at a C-Value of 1 out of 10, one reason why it is found more commonly.  They also tolerate a larger range of soil moisture categories which allows them to compete well across a larger range of habitats.  The leaves are smaller, have smooth margins and are thick and velvety.

Black-Eyed Susan's (Rudbeckia hirta)

Purpletop (Tridens flavus)

CORRECTION - About a year ago in an earlier post (see "Trailblazer switchgrass??? - Nov'11"), I incorrectly identified one of the grass species that has been growing in Old Mesic.  After years of head scratching, I finally stumbled upon some useful information that has steered me in the right direction.  What I originally thought was a strain of switchgrass turned out to be Purpletop (Tridens flavus), a native perennial bunchgrass that originally grew in oak savannas and sandy clearings.  According to the University of Michigan Herbarium, this plant has only been documented in a handfull of counties throughout the southern three tiers of counties in Michigan.  In Oakland County where our farm is located, no record of this plant has ever been documented.  This makes the discovery that much sweeter!  Despite a low C-Value of 3 out of 10, I still have not seen it in any of the other high quality natural areas in our area so in Oakland County it may actually be considered more unusual than in other parts of the state.  Either way, I consider it an important component of our restoration projects and look forward to propogating it from seed and planting it in other areas on the farm.