Days to Maturity: 140

‘Sputnik’ is a biennial or short-lived perennial, often grown as an annual, offering an extended bloom season, from midsummer through late fall. The plant flowers in bright and cheery daisy-esque, medium-sized flowers of golden yellow rays with a mahogany base around a domed dark brown “eye”. Borne singly on stiff, upright, hairy-leaved (hirta) stems the nectar-rich flowers attract butterflies, birds, and beneficial pollinating insects and make delightful cut flowers.

One of the most popular wildflowers grown, this herbaceous plant, also known as black-eyed Susan, self-seeds freely after the first year. It’s perfect for natural landscapes but also works well in borders and containers.

Easy to grow from seed, it prefers full sun and fertile, organically rich, moist, well-drained soils but can tolerate some shade and a wide range of soils, including clay and loam, if they are not too wet. It is drought