Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia
Black-Eyed Susan blooms from July through October.
Everything this page states about the plant was checked against named botanical sources, the bloom months and the water need among them, with what the sources could not settle written down.
Growing Black-Eyed Susan
Plant it in full sun. It prefers low water. It is hardy in USDA zones 3–9. Expect it to reach about 2.6 ft tall and 1.6 ft wide at maturity, in roughly 2 years.
When to plant Black-Eyed Susan
Plant Black-Eyed Susan in early spring as soon as the soil is workable, or in early fall at least six weeks before your first frost, so roots establish in cool weather. For the middle of its hardy zones 3 to 9 range, spring means March to May and fall means August or September. Once settled, it blooms from July to October.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar: for the middle of its range, start with zone 6 in March.
Comes in 9 varieties across 3 colors
Same plant, same care - pick the color you are growing.
Good to know about Black-Eyed Susan
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note.
Worth knowing
More than a nectar stop, it is a nursery: Penn State counts 18 insect species that use Rudbeckia as a host, feeding Silvery Checkerspot and Wavy-lined Emerald caterpillars. per Penn State
Leaf spot varies by cultivar
NC State rates the species as resistant, but the popular 'Goldsturm' is often disfigured by leaf spot; 'American Gold Rush' was bred to resist it. per NC State and Penn State
Aster yellows has no cure
A leafhopper spreads this incurable disease; flowers turn deformed, green-tufted and lopsided, so pull infected plants out entirely, roots and all. per University of Illinois and Clemson
One fix, two diseases
Leaf spot and powdery mildew share the same triggers: crowding, poor airflow and wet leaves. Space plants wider, thin for air, and water at the base. per Penn State and University of Illinois
Seed heads feed goldfinches
Leave the last cones standing into winter and American goldfinches eat the seeds; deadheading for rebloom removes that food, so let your goal pick the timing. per NC State and Penn State
Self-seeds; divide every few years
It self-seeds freely, especially R. hirta, so site it where volunteers are welcome; divide clumps every 3 to 4 years in spring or fall to renew them. per NC State and Clemson
What pairs well with Black-Eyed Susan
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
Sage
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in late spring, before this one opens; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months; blue against orange, for contrast.
Creeping Phlox
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months; lower at 6 in, for the front of the border.
Giant Allium
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in late spring, before this one opens; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months; purple against orange, for contrast.
Thyme
Shares full sun and low water; opens in late spring and overlaps into this one's season; both are strong pollinator plants; lower at 6 in, for the front of the border.
Crocus
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in late winter, before this one opens; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; lower at 4 in, for the front of the border.
Mock Orange
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in late spring, before this one opens; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; taller at 8.2 ft, for the layer behind it.
Grape Hyacinth
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in early spring, before this one opens; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; lower at 8 in, for the front of the border.
California Poppy
Shares full sun and low water; opens in late spring and overlaps into this one's season; both are strong pollinator plants; both are native plants.
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