Blackeyed Susan

Rudbeckia hirta (Blackeyed Susan) is an erect-growing, clump-forming biennial that typically grows to 3.3 ft. One of the most familiar natives, Blackeyed Susan blooms between June and October with bright yellow flowers. Depending on the site, Rudbeckia hirta can be an annual, biennial, or perennial. While able to reseed itself, we do not see large amounts of Blackeyed Susan in most meadow settings after the third growing season. Rudbeckia hirta can be found from Maine to Florida and North Dakota to New Mexico in full sun in mesic to dry soils of fields, meadows, and roadsides. Blackeyed Susan is deer resistant, has very reliable germination, and produces a seedling that, with the help of our Ernst Seeds Seedling Gallery, is easy for the average person to recognize. For this reason, Blackeyed Susan is a quality control component of any seed mix we use it in. In many of our meadow mixes, Rudbeckia hirta is the first upland flower to germinate and produce a recognizable seedling. For fall or dormant seeded meadows, Blackeyed Susan will germinate by the local frost-free date and produce a fuzzy-leaved seedling by three weeks after. When Rudbeckia hirta is included in seed mixes at a rate of 0.6 lb per acre or 4% of a 15 lb per acre mix, customers will often see one or more seedlings per square foot. When Blackeyed Susan seedlings are present at that density, customers will know their seed was not planted too deep and that growing conditions are favorable for germination. If there are one or more Rudbeckia hirta seedlings per square foot in the first growing season, they will produce a visually stunning field of blooms in the second growing season. We include Blackeyed Susan in our upland, mesic to dry, riparian, and rain garden mixes. Rudbeckia hirta is a member of the aster (Asteraceae) family. The genus name Rudbeckia honors Swedish botanist Olof Rudbeck, while the species name hirta refers to the trichomses (hairs) covering the leaves or stems.