Black-eyed Susan – Simcoe County Master Gardener

Simcoe County Master Gardeners

Grow Natives!

PLANT PROFILE

COMMON NAME: Black-Eyed Susan

BINOMIAL: Rudbeckia hirta

Family	Asteraceae
Cdn Native Range	much of southern Canada including central Ontario
Natural habitat	open meadows, roadsides, open woods, sandy or rocky sites
Type	herbaceous perennial, short-lived
Features	showy daisy-like flowers, strong summer colour, good pollinator
Growth habit	upright, clump forming, hairy foliage, single to multi stemmed
Mature height	30–90 cm (12–36 in)
Mature spread	30–45 cm (12–18 in)
Life span	2–3 years, maintains population through self seeding
Cdn Hardiness Zone	3–7
Growing conditions	full sun, tolerates light shade but flowering reduced
Soil conditions	adaptable, prefers well-drained sandy or loamy soil, tolerates poor soils
Watering needs	moderate, water during establishment, drought tolerant once established
Fertilizer needs	low, excessive fertility reduces flowering, compost top dressing sufficient
Tolerance	drought tolerant, salt tolerant, moderately deer and rabbit resistant
Maintenance rank	low
Maintenance needs	deadhead to prolong blooming, leave seed heads for winter wildlife value, cut back early spring
Bloom	June-September, 5–8 cm (2–3 in) golden-yellow ray flowers with dark central brown cone, not fragrant
Fruit	dry seed in the cone, not showy but valuable to birds
Pollinator support	abundant nectar and pollen for native bees, butterflies and insects
Environmental support	seeds feed birds like goldfinches; supports native specialist bees including the coneflower mining bee
Garden Use	garden beds, borders, slopes, meadow gardens, pollinator gardens, rain gardens, naturalized areas, roadside plantings, cut flowers
Risks & Cautions	short-lived, relies on self seeding, susceptible to powdery mildew if humid

References: Forest Gene Conservation Assn., https://fgca.net; Ontario Wildflowers, http://ontariowildflowers.com; Native Plant Trust Go Botany, https://gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org