Posted on by susurrus

Rudbeckia ‘Giggling’

Rudbeckia 'Giggling' - yellow flower with burgundy markings

Rudbeckia ‘Giggling’ (looking sunny against a drift of white Gaura) is richly coloured, fast growing and short. I noticed that Walter Blom Plants have listed it as one of their Temperennials, a coinage, in their words, ‘to warn you that they cannot be left cold and wet through the winter’.

‘Giggling’ is one of a collection of rudbeckias with cheerful names such as ‘Brilliant’, ‘Glowing’, ‘Loving’ and ‘Happy’, released under the trademarked name SmileyZ. Noting that we could all do with a little more happiness, I have told myself that the instant dislike I took to the name SmileyZ was unnecessarily Grinchish. You can see the collection on the AB-Cultivars website.

Now our only other concern is whether the rudbeckia appears to be giggling. It looks a little hearty for that. Chortling, perhaps?

Shared for Cee’s Flower of the Day.

36 Replies to “Rudbeckia ‘Giggling’”

  2. It’s a fabulous-looking rudbeckia – whether is giggling, chortling or whatever. I wouldn’t mind growing this from seed, but I can’t find much in the UK under any of its names.

  4. I am so pleased to see this! It looks just like the Rudbeckia I had in my last garden. I carefully saved its seeds in hopes of growing it in my next garden, here, but I haven’t had much luck with it. In my last garden, it was just this glorious. I’m afraid I don’t have a good word for its happy voice, though. I do agree that it doesn’t seem to be a giggler.

    As to your being Grinchish, I find it hard to believe, but we are all entitled in the present moment.

    1. On a windy day, with the heads bouncing, I could perhaps see the giggling. I hope you’ll find another way to restart your cluster of good cheer. I would imagine seedlings would be variable if they came from a named variety.

  6. Temperennials? Really? Whatever next…
    I do like the Rudbeckias, but not so keen on some of those names. I reckon I am also a Grinch. 🤢

    1. I’m not sure the term conveys what it’s supposed to. There’s a hint of temperamental in there, which is hardly a selling point unless you’re wanting a challenge.

        1. And then there’s halfwild or vanishingperennial. We could come up with a great range of names between us, but I doubt any would make our fortunes.

  7. SmileyZ had the same effect on me, it sounds more like a rapper! (Maybe these flowers rap when we’re not looking…) It’s very pretty, but wouldn’t survive in our garden in Wales, not if it doesn’t like rain!

    1. I could see them as rappers and would be intrigued by what lyrics they’d come up with. I imagine they’ll be happy to have rain in summer, but less happy sitting in cold, wet ground over the winter.

  8. I have Smiley Z and like this one it is very pretty, but I agree what a silly name. Almost as bad as Hydrangea ‘Pinky Winky’.

    1. There’s a whole school of daft plant names. I can understand the temptation to coin a new word because with popular plants a lot of the names you’d think of first are either taken, or don’t fit the rules of what is allowed.

  10. Wow, so beautiful! Yeah not keen on the name Smiley Z either – I think I’m missing why the “Z” 🤔 Giggling I’m not sure about but they do seem to be happy and smiling, so maybe…

    1. I suppose it’s a futuristic way of saying smilies (or smileys), which are yellow. 🙂 Or a form that can be trademarked – it could be tricky to trademark smileys.
      When I first saw the name, I had not thought it through at all so it just seemed over the top.

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