Black-eyed Susan Other Common Names: Common Black-eyed Susan, Brown-eyed Susan Scientific Name: Rudbeckia hirta Native to Alabama: Yes
	Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Ray Mathews Click on image to enlarge it

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Basic Plant Information

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Sally and Andy Wasowski Click on image to enlarge it

I am a vascular plant with no woody stems above ground, so I am herbaceous. I do not keep leaves year-round, so I am deciduous. I come in many varieties and respond differently to various climates.  In mild climates,I die back in winter but regrow in spring for many seasons, so I am perennial.  In colder climates, I complete my life cycle in one growing season, so I am annual. In some varieties, I have a two-year life cycle, so I am biennial. I can grow 2 - 3 feet high and 2 - 3 feet wide.

 























 

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Ecological Benefits

This plant provides food for:
Butterflies	Caterpillars	Native Bees	Other Pollinators	Other Birds
	Gorgone Checkerspot
Other Ecological Benefit(s):
White-tailed deer graze on basal leaves in winter, bobwhite quail and wild turkey eat seeds

Other Plants Found in Alabama with Similar Ecological Benefits:
Orange Coneflower (Rudbeckia fulgida)		Green-headed Coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata)		Shiny Coneflower (Rudbeckia natida)

Softhair Coneflower (Rudbeckia mollis)				Browneyed Coneflower (Rudbeckia triloba)

 
  

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Maintenance Notes
Dormant in winter. Flowers can be cut for an indoor vase. Clip wilted blooms to promote blooming and to reduce self-seeding. Begins flowering during the second year of growth. When watering, hold hose to base of plant for a count of 5 seconds.  Water should reach all roots. Avoid sprinkling water on the leaves. Requires average amount of water.
Average watering: water two times per week during the summer and once per week during the rest of the year.

 

 

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Habitat Requirements
This plant prefers:
Full Sun (6+ hours of sun per day)		Average Watering	Well-drained, Sandy, Loamy, Clay, Acidic, or Moist Soil

 

 

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Leaf, Flower & Seed Identification
LEAF DESCRIPTION				USDA Plants Database Patrick J Alexande Click on image to enlarge it
Leaf Characteristics Chart (PDF)
Shape: Ovate	Margin: Serrate	Arrangement: Alternate	Form: Simple
Description:
Basal leaves (leaves at the base of the stem) have a stalk, are ovate, and are covered in bristly hairs; some leaves along the stem have stalks and others don’t, they are elliptical, serrate or entire, and hairy; up to 3” wide and 4” long

FLOWER DESCRIPTION				Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center James L. Reveal Click on image to enlarge it
Flower Shape Chart (JPG)
Color: Yellow	Shape: Radiate/Ligulate		Bloom Months: Jun - Oct
Description:
2-3” wide flower occurs singly atop 1-2-foot long rough stems; disk florets (tubular, fertile floret that forms disk) form brown central cone; showy golden-yellow ray florets (narrow, petal-like, infertile floret that surround the disk) create daisy-like flower heads

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Quick Fact Sheet (Condensed Species Info)

Plant ID Sign: Ready as-is PDF

Plant ID Sign: Editable Word Doc

QR Code (Links to this Webpage)

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Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center's Plant Database		USDA Plants Database
Alabama Plant Atlas		Minnesota Wildflowers
Missouri Botanical Garden

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