Dig into Plants: Black-eyed Susan

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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

Learn More About...

Basic Plant Information

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center – Sally and Andy Wasowski

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.

Ecological Benefits

This plant provides food for:

Butterflies

Caterpillars

Gorgone Checkerspot

Native Bees

Other Pollinators

Other Birds

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)

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.

Habitat Requirements

This plant prefers:

Full Sun
(6+ hours of sun per day)

Average Watering

Well-drained, Sandy, Loamy, Clay, Acidic,
or Moist Soil

Leaf, Flower & Seed Identification

USDA Plants Database – Patrick J Alexande

LEAF 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

Leaf Characteristics Chart (PDF)


Shape: Ovate	Margin: Serrate

Arrangement: Alternate	Form: Simple

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center – James L. Reveal

FLOWER 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

Flower Shape Chart (JPG)


Color: Yellow	Shape: Radiate/Ligulate	Bloom Months: Jun – Oct

USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database – Steve Hurst

SEED DESCRIPTION

Plant spreads by:
Seeds


Type: Fruit - Dry Seed Pod	Description: Center disk becomes head of dry, dark brown-black, 4-sided, elliptical seeds lacking tufts of hair	Months in Seed: Summer – Fall

Plant Life Cycle

Plant Life Cycle:

All plants start life as a seed.
The seed turns into a sprout when it grows roots.
The sprout becomes a seedling as grows a stem and leaves above the ground.
After the seedling becomes an adult plant it will grow flowers.

General Plant Life Cycle – Dreamstime

Plant Life Cycle continues:

After the flowers finish blooming, each flower turns into a seed.
When the seeds fall down to the ground, the plant life cycle starts again.
Each seed can become a plant if it has the food, water and space that it needs to grow.

Minnesota Wildflowers – Katy Chayka

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS

Quick Fact Sheet
(Condensed Species Info)

Plant ID Sign (Text Only):
Ready as-is PDF

Plant ID Sign (With Picture):
Ready as-is PDF

QR Code
(Links to this Webpage)

Plant ID Sign (Text Only):
Editable Word Doc

Plant ID Sign (With Picture):
Editable Word Doc

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