Unless rudbeckias are in full bloom they will do this. Wait a few days long er before picking...and non of us use aspirin in the water that I know of. Try a pinch of sugar, a few drops of white vinegar and about 1 drop of bleach for a vase. Also, recut your stems under water befroe putting them in the vase.

Hope that helps

Hi Emily -

I have had success picking rudbeckia in the evening and immediately putting them in water with commercial preservative added.

The book, "The Flower Farmer," advises picking rudbeckia before fully open in order to avoid insect damage.

"Double Gold" with a full pompom-like bloom can even be picked before the brown-eye is revealed. I have a bouquet that is now six days old and still looking very good.

Keep an eye on the disk in the center of the flower to judge maturity. A small, smooth disk, with just the outer row shedding pollen, but with the petals fully open, is the right stage for harvest. Packets of floral preservative are available just about everywhere -- even the grocery store where flowers are sold. It's inexpensive. Floral preservative also contains some hydrating solution. Rudbeckia is one of those flowers that will benefit from its use. Also, cut early in the morning, or later in the day.

I don't pay much attention to exactly what stage they are in when I cut them, as long as they don't look old. Perhaps mine wouldn't weaken if I were more careful. Sometimes mine get weak stems and want to nod after cutting, but they all stiffen back up in a cool place in preservative water, in 24 hours at the absolute longest. I cut a lot at once and put them in a tall bucket that holds them upright, so they'll be straight when they stiffen up, instead of stiffened in a bowed-over position. Then they last three weeks, minimum. I get tired of looking at them long before they get tired of living.

Jeanne

I think I am going to love this flower. I just planted it VERY small this Spring and it is loaded with buds and the first bloom opened today. It looks awesome next to my dark purple Jackmanii clematis.

I usually use a few drops of hydrogen peroxide in cut flower vases. is that as good as the preservatives?

My new "Chocolate orange" rudbeckias are opening. I love them! The color is totally outrageous! have to figure out what to put with them besides chocolate cosmos. I AM a little short on orange flowers this year.

Will try to get a photo once I get my camera back from repair...will I never hear from them?I Can't stand being without it!

The things about Cherokee Sunset that disappointed me were that most of them were brown (how many of you have seen brown in a sunset???), which my customers won't buy in a grower's bunch, and that all of the gold ones were too short. Now I just grow a few, for accents in the occasional sunflower bouquet, and grow lots of Double Gold, Prairie Sun, and Indian Summer.

Jeanne

I saw the Chocolate Orange last week at our Wednesday market, LizaLily. They were stunning. I wanted to buy some of the plants. I had to have those plants!! They were certainly tall enough for cuts. The vendor told me that we could grow our own from seed. And, also, because they are hybrids, they may not overwinter for us in Michigan.

Emily -- could be time of day you picked or also the plant conditions. If the plants are stressed, then you have to be even more careful about picking time. Early, early in the day is usually the best and immediately into water. Take a bucket with you. I've had some success with late-in-the day picking (by necessity) just before dark when the plants have started to revive a bit from the heat.

The warmish water would be OK, but put container in a cool place, as mentioned, out of the sun and any breeze to hydrate. Wish I had some of this variety to cut this year. Missed planting it and now some of my other Rudbeckias are getting the critter haircuts.

FLOWERFARMER. what do you think would be pretty with the chocolate orange for a bouquet? And yes I started mine from seed. Don't remember who I ordered it from.

For a hot summer bouquet, I would use blue salvia, crimson zinnias, chocolate orange rudbeckia -- and for sparkle the little button flowers of tansy. I might add a touch of baby's breath. We have everything except the chocolate orange :(
There's always next year............

I've had second thought on this. My bouquet would consist of deep blue (purple) lisianthus, creamy white dahlias and euphorbia marginata with the chocolate orange rudbeckia. Interesting what a day in the hot field can do for one's creativity.........