Tribola is a black-eyed Susan, a native rudbeckia with golden daisy flowers that carry a dark central cone, opening from midsummer and continuing into autumn. It grows as a sturdy clump of upright stems, a tough, dependable backbone for the middle of a border.

Give it full sun and average soil; here, it needs no coddling and handles our summer heat well, with drought tolerance once established. Clay is fine as long as the spot drains. Deadhead to keep the show going, or leave the seed heads standing for the goldfinches come fall.