Pawnee Spirit is a rudbeckia in campfire colors: daisy blooms in deep reds and mahogany washed with gold around dark centers, on plants about 2 feet tall from early summer into fall. It brings the black-eyed Susan's easy nature in a richer, warmer palette.

Grow it in full sun in average soil; it takes clay, heat, and dry spells once its roots are down. Deer usually pass it by, and bees, butterflies, and seed-hunting birds all use it. Deadhead through summer, then leave the late seed heads for the finches.