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Rudbeckia fulgida

Phonetic Spelling
rud-BEK-ee-a FUL-gih-duh
Description

Black-eyed Susan is a erect herbaceous perennial in the Asteraceae (daisy) family native to the eastern part of the United States.   

With prolific yellow daisy-like flowers that have a brownish-purple center that first mature in early summer and continue into the fall this plant may quickly reach 2 to 3 feet tall. A rosette of leaves that originate at the base of the stem persists through the winter, creating an attractive winter ground cover. Leave the seed heads on as a winter food source for the birds. 

Black-eyed Susan is easy to grow, thriving in any but soggy soils. It does best in full sun but tolerates partial shade. It also bears up under hot, humid summers and, once established, will tolerate drought. The plant spreads by underground stems called rhizomes to form large clumps. Propagation can be done by division in the spring or fall, or it can be propagated by seed. It is utilized for perennial beds, backgrounds, in pollinator gardens, in naturalized areas, and borders. Staking may be required for large heads.

Cultivars of this plant are usually what are sold in garden centers.

This plant was selected as the 1988 NC Wildflower of the Year, a program managed by the North Carolina Botanical Garden with some financial support from the Garden Club of North Carolina.

Quick ID Hints:

  • Erect herbs with basal rosette green leaves
  • Heads with brown-black, flattened domes
  • Ray flowers in a single row, yellow or orange

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: This plant has no pest and disease problems. Some cultivars have shown good resistance to leaf spot and a fair amount of resistance to abiotic disorder and southern blight (where fair is defined as less than half the plants studied dying of the disease). See Phytophthora Root and Crown Rot in the Landscape.

Additional Video for Rudbeckia fulgida - Part of the Native Plant Picks series from the North Carolina Sea Grant led Coastal Landscapes Initiative

Profile Video:
See this plant in the following landscapes:
Floricyle Children's Secret Garden- Wilson Botanical Gardens
Cultivars / Varieties:
  • 'Early Bird Gold'
  • 'Goldsturm'
    Larger flowers, slightly shorter, star-shaped. Good resistance to leaf spot.
  • 'Little Goldstar'
    Fair amount of resistance to abiotic disorder and southern blight.
  • Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii
  • 'Viette's Little Suzy'
    10-15 inches tall
'Early Bird Gold', 'Goldsturm', 'Little Goldstar', Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii, 'Viette's Little Suzy'
Tags:
#gold#full sun tolerant#yellow flowers#low maintenance#fall interest#highly beneficial coastal plants#fire medium flammability#NC native#summer flowers#deer resistant#daisy-like#native garden#border planting#self-seeding#pollinator plant#native wildflower#wildflower garden#fantz#larval host plant#food source fall#NC Native Pollinator Plant#bird friendly#butterfly friendly#nectar plant late summer#nectar plant early fall#nectar plant mid-fall#partial shade tolerant#HS302#wavy-lined emerald butterfly#silvery checkerspot butterfly#NC Wildflower of the Year#perennial#herb garden#wildlife friendly#collier preserve tn#cpp
 
Cultivars / Varieties:
  • 'Early Bird Gold'
  • 'Goldsturm'
    Larger flowers, slightly shorter, star-shaped. Good resistance to leaf spot.
  • 'Little Goldstar'
    Fair amount of resistance to abiotic disorder and southern blight.
  • Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii
  • 'Viette's Little Suzy'
    10-15 inches tall
'Early Bird Gold', 'Goldsturm', 'Little Goldstar', Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii, 'Viette's Little Suzy'
Tags:
#gold#full sun tolerant#yellow flowers#low maintenance#fall interest#highly beneficial coastal plants#fire medium flammability#NC native#summer flowers#deer resistant#daisy-like#native garden#border planting#self-seeding#pollinator plant#native wildflower#wildflower garden#fantz#larval host plant#food source fall#NC Native Pollinator Plant#bird friendly#butterfly friendly#nectar plant late summer#nectar plant early fall#nectar plant mid-fall#partial shade tolerant#HS302#wavy-lined emerald butterfly#silvery checkerspot butterfly#NC Wildflower of the Year#perennial#herb garden#wildlife friendly#collier preserve tn#cpp
  • Attributes:
    Genus:
    Rudbeckia
    Species:
    fulgida
    Family:
    Asteraceae
    Life Cycle:
    Perennial
    Recommended Propagation Strategy:
    Division
    Seed
    Country Or Region Of Origin:
    Eastern United States
    Distribution:
    AL , AR , CT , DC , DE , FL , GA , IL , IN , KY , MA , MD , MI , MO , MS , NC , NJ , NY , OH , OK , PA , SC , TN , TX , VA , WI , WV
    Fire Risk Rating:
    medium flammability
    Wildlife Value:
    This plant provides nectar for pollinators. It is a larval host plant to Wavy-lined Emerald (Synchlora aerata) and to Silvery Checkerspot (Chlosyne nycteis) which has one brood in the north and two broods from May-September in the rest of its range. Songbirds, especially American goldfinches, eat the seeds in the fall.
    Play Value:
    Wildlife Food Source
    Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
    Occasionally damaged by deer but moderately resistant. Good resistance to leaf spot.
    Dimensions:
    Height: 2 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.
    Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.
  • Whole Plant Traits:
    Plant Type:
    Herbaceous Perennial
    Native Plant
    Wildflower
    Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
    Broadleaf Evergreen
    Habit/Form:
    Clumping
    Growth Rate:
    Rapid
    Maintenance:
    Low
    Texture:
    Coarse
  • Cultural Conditions:
    Light:
    Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
    Soil Texture:
    Clay
    Shallow Rocky
    Soil Drainage:
    Good Drainage
    Moist
    Occasionally Dry
    Available Space To Plant:
    12 inches-3 feet
    NC Region:
    Coastal
    Mountains
    Piedmont
    USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
    3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
  • Fruit:
    Display/Harvest Time:
    Fall
  • Flowers:
    Flower Color:
    Black
    Gold/Yellow
    Orange
    Flower Inflorescence:
    Head
    Flower Value To Gardener:
    Good Cut
    Long Bloom Season
    Showy
    Flower Bloom Time:
    Fall
    Summer
    Flower Shape:
    Radial
    Flower Petals:
    7 - 20 petals/rays
    Flower Size:
    1-3 inches
    Flower Description:
    Ten to twenty brilliant yellow-orange ray florets (1 to 3 inches wide) surrounding a purple-brown central disk. They aprear to droop apically and are in one series. Disc flowers are obscure and yellowish. Inflorescence is a terminal head with a flattened dome receptacle that is brownish-black in color. Flowers bloom from August to October.
  • Leaves:
    Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
    Broadleaf Evergreen
    Leaf Color:
    Green
    Leaf Value To Gardener:
    Long-lasting
    Showy
    Leaf Type:
    Simple
    Leaf Arrangement:
    Alternate
    Rosulate
    Leaf Shape:
    Lanceolate
    Ovate
    Leaf Margin:
    Dentate
    Hairs Present:
    Yes
    Leaf Length:
    3-6 inches
    Leaf Width:
    1-3 inches
    Leaf Description:
    Ovate to oval to ovate lanceolate, basal rosette leaves to 5 inches long and half as wide. Lower leaves are toothed with prominent veins. Covered with bristly hairs when young. They are petiolate. Cauline leaves are elliptic to lanceolate, acute, cuneate, and short-petiole to sessile.
  • Stem:
    Stem Color:
    Green
    Stem Is Aromatic:
    No
    Stem Form:
    Straight
    Stem Surface:
    Hairy (pubescent)
    Stem Description:
    The stem is branched with bristly hairs.
  • Landscape:
    Landscape Location:
    Meadow
    Naturalized Area
    Landscape Theme:
    Butterfly Garden
    Cottage Garden
    Native Garden
    Pollinator Garden
    Rain Garden
    Design Feature:
    Border
    Specimen
    Attracts:
    Butterflies
    Pollinators
    Songbirds
    Resistance To Challenges:
    Deer
    Drought
    Dry Soil
    Pollution