This popped up as a surprise this year. Looks kinda like a small sunflower bush. I think it might be a type of rudbeckia / black-eyed Susan. (Lots of other more traditional-type classic rudbeckia taking over other parts of the garden beds.)

Stems are very thick (almost as thick as my thumb) and it grows like a small bush with multiple flowers on each stem. Leaves and stem are hairy. Plant is blooming profusely now, and about 3 feet tall. It makes *great* cut flowers that last forever, and additional buds will bloom once in a vase of water.

Am I on the right track with rudbeckia? Anyone know the cultivar?

**I inherited my garden from former owners. It was abandoned and went wild for 2 years before I started over with it last year. There have been many surprises as I learn what to "weed" early in the season, and what I let grow.**

It certainly looks like Rudbeckia to me.

I would guess Rudbeckia hirta since it is common in the eastern USA and hirta, meaning hairy or rough.

Excellent, thank you.

If anyone has any more ideas about the specific cultivar, I'd love to know it!

I have many Rudbeckias in my garden that are not named cultivars. They cross freely, self seed, and germinate around the garden. Yours may well be unnamed crosses.......

OK, thanks.

Nearly 60 years ago I was still living home with my parents. I went to a nursery in SLC and saw some Rudbeckias. We called them Gloriosa Daisies then. I bought some plants as gifts for my Dad and at first he didn't like them. He thought that they looked to much like common sun flowers which he considered weeds. Later as they naturalized around his garden beds he grew to love them as I still do. Mine are descendants of those original plants.....

Initially I thought they might be sunflowers, too!