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In My Garden Blog

August 7, 2003
New England
By Suzanne DeJohn,
Candler, NC

Prairie Sun's 5-inch blooms have green centers surrounded by petals that fade from deep gold near the center to lemon yellow at the tips.

Beautiful Black-Eyed Susans

What's not to like about black-eyed Susans? They're hardy and reliable, with abundant golden yellow blooms that brighten the summer garden. Gathered by the armful, the cut flowers make a festive -- and long-lasting -- summer bouquet. But these aren't the reasons I first fell in love with black-eyed Susans: It was their name that caught my attention as a young child. I was sure they were named after me (but some silly person spelled Suzanne wrong).

The botanical name, Rudbeckia, is less colorful but more accurate when it comes to distinguishing among the many species and varieties of plants commonly called black-eyed Susans. Other common names include brown-eyed Susan, gloriosa daisy, and oxeye daisy.

Rudbeckia Rudiments
There are about 25 species of rudbeckia, including annual, biennial, and perennial varieties. They're found across the country, with every region having at least one native species except the desert southwest. As a group, they are rated as hardy in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 through 10, although individual species and varieties may have more limited ranges. Rudbeckias, like many native flowers, attract birds and butterflies.

In general, rudbeckia flowers have yellow petals with dark centers. The plants prefer full sun, and although established plants are relatively drought tolerant, they thrive with regular watering. Rudbeckias are vigorous self-sowers and left on their own the offspring may overwhelm other garden plants.

Annual or Perennial?
The line between annual and perennial blurs with rudbeckias. Some types are short-lived perennials, but because they bloom the first year from seed they're grown as annuals. Others are true perennials. And because they reproduce readily from seed, even the short-lived types can form perennial stands when allow to self-sow.

Rudbeckia hirta and R fulgida are the two species most readily available to gardeners. Varieties of R. hirta tend to be short-lived and are often grown as annuals. Many of the most common rudbeckias fall into this category, including 'Prairie Sun' and 'Indian Summer'. Varieties of R. fulgida are true perennials.

Rudbeckia hirta Varieties
There seems to be some confusion about whether certain Rudbeckia hirta varieties are annuals, biennials, or short-lived perennials. Different sources classify varieties differently. However, most sources agree that the plants flower the first year if sown in early spring and readily self-sow. If your plants overwinter and rebloom, consider it a bonus. All the varieties described below make excellent cut flowers except the dwarf 'Toto'.

'Prairie Sun' -- This variety was a 2003 All-America Selection and a Gold Medal winner in the 2003 Fleuroselect trials across Europe. Instead of the usual brown eye, Prairie Sun's 5-inch blooms have green centers surrounded by petals that fade from deep gold toward the center to lemon yellow at the tips. This variety grows to a height of 30 inches. (For more information on All-America Selections, visit http://www.all-americaselections.org; on Fleuroselect, visit http://www.fleuroselect.com/)

'Indian Summer' -- The huge, sunflower-like blooms on this variety are bright yellow with dark brown centers. Larger than most R. hirta varieties, Indian Summer grows up to 36 inches tall. It was named the 2000 Fresh Cut Flower of the Year by the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers (http://www.ascfg.org/) and was a 1995 All-America Selection.

'Cherokee Sunset' -- A 2002 All-America Selection, Cherokee Sunset's 3- to 4 1/2-inch flowers may be yellow, orange, mahogany, and bronze, or a blend of colors. Grows to a height of 24 to 30 inches.

'Gloriosa' and 'Double Gloriosa' - These cultivars have very showy flowers up to 6" across, with yellow, gold, or reddish bronze rays. Plants grow to a height of about 24 inches.

'Toto' - The flowers on this dwarf variety have full, rounded petals. Toto grows to a height of about 12 inches, and its tidy, compact habit make it good for border edgings and container plantings.

Other Rudbeckia Species
Rudbeckia fulgida is native to Missouri, where it thrives in a variety of habitats. The species grows to a height of about 36" and has a long bloom period, flowering from mid-summer until fall. A popular cultivar is Goldsturm (R. fulgida var. sullivantii 'Goldsturm'), which was named the 1999 Perennial Plant of the Year. Goldsturm is smaller than the species, growing to a height of 18 to 30 inches, and is notable for its abundant flowers. (For more information on the Perennial Plant Association, visit http://www.perennialplant.org) Another R. fulgida variety, Viette's Little Suzy, is smaller still, reaching only 10 to 15 inches in height.

Rudbeckia triloba, commonly called three-lobed or thin-leaved coneflower, is native to the prairies. More dainty in appearance than its cousins, the plant has an airy, open form and is completely covered with small yellow blooms with black button centers from July to October cousins. The tall (up to 48-inch) stems may need staking. Rated hardy in USDA Zones 5 through 7, R. triloba is considered a short-lived perennial, but it readily self-sows.

Rudbeckia laciniata is rated hardy in USDA Zones 3 to 9 and requires moister soils than other species. Athough it can grow up to 9 feet tall in the wild, it more commonly reaches a height of 3 to 4 feet. The daisy-like flowers have drooping petals and domed green centers. Native to much of the US, the plant's common names include cutleaf coneflower, green-headed coneflower, and tall coneflower.

Rudbeckia maxima has unique, waxy blue-green foliage instead of the usual coarse, hairy leaves of other rudbeckias. Flowers have droopy yellow petals surrounding a tall brown cone, and flower stalks can reach a height of 7 feet or more. One of its common names, swamp coneflower, alludes to its preference for damp soils. Another common name is cabbage leaf coneflower. Native to warm, moist Southern woodlands, it is hardy in USDA Zones 5 through 9.

Two rudbeckia varieties, Black Beauty and Green Wizard (R. occidentalis 'Black Beauty' and R. occidentalis 'Green Wizard') are unusual in that they lack the yellow petals of most rudbeckias. Instead, the black center cone is surrounded by the bright green sepals. They make a striking addition to both the garden and to cut flower arrangements.

Ongoing Care
Planted in full sun and reasonably moist soil, rudbeckias are remarkably carefree. Provide supplemental water the first season to help young plants get established. Rudbeckias are bothered by few insect and disease pests and need little or no supplemental fertilizing, especially if you amend the soil with compost before planting. Deadheading prolongs the bloom time, but be sure to leave some seedheads on the plants to attract birds and provide winter interest.

I love Rudbeckias , the way they propagate and the beautiful blooms
, but ... guess what ?
My White-tailed deer love them , too !They devour the buds and leave
the stalks to
 try to reproduce ...
So , it's a good thng they pop up all over so we can feed our deer
and enjy them , too !!
Happy Gardening !!

I didn't know rudbeckias are a favorite for deer -- or at least your
deer. I would've thought the plants' fuzzy leaves might deter them,
but I guess the buds and flowers are tasty. I have a few rudbeckias
around my gardens, but since I grow so many sunflowers I found I
have plenty of yellow flowers for bouquets, which is why I don't
grow them in my cutting gardens. But they are pretty. Have you seen
the varieties with the light green centers? 

I also have and enjoy my black-eyed susans! Interestingly, the ones
closer to the house thrive and bloom wonderfully through the
season...and ...the other bunch towards the end of the yard
(actually a better, sunnier location) are regular lunch for the
local rabbits...and the groundhog.. and yes... they even eat the
leaves!

Hi, thank you for the info.  I remember beautiful fields of daisies
and brown-eyed susans from my childhood.  I would like to grow them
in my yard, which is an unmowed wildlife habitat of grass and native
plants.  I would appreciate info on which species are native to the
southern New Hampshire region and how to find the plants or seeds to
plant in my yard. Thanks again!

The New England Wildflower Society, http://www.newfs.org/, is a
great source of information. Their seed catalog lists these, so I'd
assume they are native to New England:

Rudbeckia fulgida v. sullivantii
Rudbeckia laciniata
Rudbeckia maxima
Rudbeckia subtomentosa

Enjoy!

They are definitely native to western Maine where I live. I have a
pasture which I let go wild (only cutting with a bush-hog every 2-3
years) and from mid-summer till early- autumn, it's covered with the
small variety of black-eyed susans.

Thanks for the note; I suspect the different species have somewhat
different bloom periods, so planting a variety would extend the
flowering season. I can just imagine how lovely your meadow is!

I'm trying to grow a cutting garden that's about 100 square feet in
my backyard. I'd like a variety of bright, lovely colors. Are
black-eyed susans a good choice for my garden?

I've found that black-eyed susans are OK for informal bouquets, but
for yellow flowers in bouquets I actually prefer sunflowers,
especially the new pollenless varieties. If you sow the sunflower
seed thickly and don't thin the plants to the "proper" spacing, the
plants become a bit stunted, which leads to smaller plants and
smaller flowers (better for bouquets). Perennial black-eyed susans
stems tend to be branched and a little more challenging to arrange.
However, if you want a beautiful perennial garden AND cut flowers,
then black-eyed susans are the way to go. They flower for a long
time and, unlike sunflowers, they remain attractive even after
they're done blooming. With only 100 square feet, though, if you
want lots of bouquets I'd go with free-flowering annuals, such as
zinnias, tall varieties of ageratum and celosia, bachelors' buttons,
certain types of amaranth, and, of course, thickly sown sunflowers.

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