Black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia fulgida
Other Common Name(s):
Other plants called Black-eyed Susan:
- Phonetic Spelling
- rud-BEK-ee-ah ful-JEE-duh
- Description
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Black-eyed Susan is an erect herbaceous perennial in the daisy family (Asteraceae) native to the eastern part of the United States. The species epithet means "shining," referring to the glossy yellow ray florets.
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.
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.
It is utilized for perennial beds, backgrounds, in pollinator gardens, in naturalized areas, and borders. Staking may be required for large heads. Plants of this species sold in garden centers are usually named cultivars, rather than the wild-type species.
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 or 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- 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:
- Backyard Respite Landscape Floricyle Children's Secret Garden at Wilson Botanical Gardens
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- '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'
- 'Early Bird Gold', 'Goldsturm', 'Little Goldstar', Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii, 'Viette's Little Suzy'
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- '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'
- 'Early Bird Gold', 'Goldsturm', 'Little Goldstar', Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii, 'Viette's Little Suzy'
- Tags:
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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.
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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
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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
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Fruit:
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
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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.
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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.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Green
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Form:
- Straight
- Stem Surface:
- Hairy (pubescent)
- Stem Description:
- The stem is branched with bristly hairs.
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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
