Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia)
Written by: Wanda Simone | Last Updated: May 7, 2024
Adds a vibrant splash of yellow to mid borders and meadow gardens, Black-eyed Susan is a low maintenance perennial that attracts pollinators and brightens up the landscape with its colorful blooms.
Plant snapshot
Scientific name: Rudbeckia
Plant type: perennial
Zone: 4 to 9
Exposure: sun, part shade
Height: 12″ to 36″
Width: 12″ to 24″
Bloom time: late spring to fall
Flower color: orange, yellow
Black-eyed Susan is a native perennial that produces daisy-like yellow or orange flowers from late spring until early fall.
Those brightly-colored flowers are a magnet for butterflies but not for deer. So that’s always a bonus!
It can survive in clay soil and is quite drought- and heat-tolerant once it is established.
Some varieties (such as Rudbeckia hirta) are very short-lived perennials so they are often treated as annuals. However, since they do self-seed, they will come back if you let some of the flowers go to seed.
Black-eyed Susan characteristics
Black-eyed Susan blooms
Flower color: orange, yellow
Bloom time: late spring to fall
Other information: long blooming, good for cut flowers
Rudbeckia Foliage
Leaf color: green
Leaf shape: broadleaf
Black-eyed Susan planting & care
Water: drought tolerant once established, likes consistently moist but not wet soil
Soil: clay soil
Planting: easily grown from seeds, plant in spring, plant in fall
Pruning: Deadheading old flowers will encourage re-blooming. Rudbeckia can be a prolific self-seeder. If you don’t want to grow (or pull) lots of new seedlings, it’s a good idea to remove the old flowers before they have a chance to go to seed.
Rudbeckia benefits & issues
Resistant to: deer, heat
Attracts: butterflies, bees
Landscaping uses: mid border, meadow garden
Growth habit: self-seeding
Potential issues: prolific self-seeder, powdery mildew
More information
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