Black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia hirta) are native to North America and one of the most popular wildflowers grown. They tend to blanket open fields, often surprising the passerby with their golden-yellow beauty.
Members of the sunflower family, the “black eye” is named for the dark, brown-purple centers of its daisy-like flower heads. The plants can grow to over 3 feet tall, with leaves of 6 inches, stalks over 8 inches long and flower diameter of 2 to 3 inches.
Butterflies, bees, and a variety of insects are attracted to the flowers for the nectar. As they drink the nectar, they move pollen from one plant to another, causing it to grow fruits and seeds that can move about easily with the wind.
These plants bloom from June to October. Note that they can be territorial in that they tend to squash out other flowers growing near them.
Black-eyed Susans are good for cut flowers; they also work well for borders or in containers.
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Black Eyed Susan's
I planted a couple of plants last year. When will they show signs of returning?
Black Eyed Susans
It depends on your location and when your last spring frost is! You should expect to see them come up a couple weeks after your last spring frost date, and they usually bloom starting in early summer.
When to trim back
Planted a half dozen plants from 4" pots. Got nice flowers but now have the stems and black pods. Greens are starting to brown. We are hosting a party in a few weeks and my bride wants me to cut them down. I intended to let them re-seed naturally and fill in the border over the coming years. If I have to cut them back now and save the pods, how will I know if I have seeds for the Spring. I see in another note you recommended a jar with something to keep them moist. Help an old man, please. I'm so happy to have them!!!
Harvesting Black-Eyed Susan Seeds
Snip off the pods and let them dry for a few days on a countertop. Then, once the pods are sufficiently dry, break them apart over paper towels (so you can contain and keep track of the tiny black seeds). Collect the seeds and store them in an envelope in the fridge, then plant in the late spring or early summer. You’ll have the best success if you wait until soil temperatures reach at least 70 degrees F.
Black eyed Susanbplants
I have a field full of these plants, I cut flowers for vases all summer... I have some smaller plants and dug them up to transplant in flower bed or in containers... would the container plants live through the winter in my house? Then transplant in spring back outside?
Wintering Black-Eyed Susans
Hi Liliz,
Yes, the plants would survive through the winter. They prefer full sun, but would survive in partial sun. The plants would not flower during the winter, however.
Black eyed susans
I have several varieties of black eyed susan but some get too tall for the area where I have them planted. I thought I had taken out the tall ones last year but still came back. Can I cut these down in the early spring to inhibit the height during the season?
Black eyed susan
My black eyed susans look good but only a single flower bloomed and bees won't go to it. Doesn't look black and to have good Pollen. I am totally confused. I fertilized them recently and was lacking at watering and so starring watering.
I feel totally at a loss and novice to growing these flower's.
Any help deeply appreciated?
Black eyed Susans
When I bought my house 15 years ago I had a beautiful patch of black eyed Susan's. Now just a few sparse plants pop up each year. Truthfully, I did nothing to help them grow as I assumed the just come back. I bought some some seeds to try to replenish the patch. It is July, can I plant them now? I live in Pennsylvania
Planting Black-eyed Susans
Black-eyed Susans are indeed perennials that will return year-after-year but not forever! Usually, they are in full bloom in July when it’s hot and sunny. We tend to seed Black-Eyed Susans in the spring once the soil temperature has reached 70°F for best seed germination. In many parts of North America, the planting period is March to May. The plant will flower June to September. Germination takes 7 to 30 days. That said, you could try seeding later in the summer or fall for flowers next year. This is how wild flowers reseed themselves. Why not. They’re just seeds. See what happens. If you wait until spring, store seeds in a cool, dry place.
Black eyes susans
I have black eyed susan's that are e feet tall but have yet to bloom. I live in zip code 20185 for zone purposes. When should they bloom this year?
Thanks
Black Eyed Susan's
I believe Black Eyed Susan's have started taking over my from lawn. They haven't bloomed yet,however, I am curious to know if these are actually them or not. They have a soft petal on them and most are about 18" tall. The stem is rugged though and withstands being bent over. Some have a bud and look like they my bloom soon. Do they hold up if I dig them up now and replant elsewhere? Help....
black eye Susan problem
My plants are curling up and coming up deformed at the beginning of spring, some develop bubly brown circles and some leaves are narrow and deformed. how can I resolve the issue?
Black eyed susan
I bought 2 lots of black eyed susan from a garden center last year grow them up trellis they were fantastic I let them die and dry out there I took them down in November I did hope that they would seed naturally this year but not a one has I planted them in the ground with good compost like I said they grow fantastic covered a 5 ft x 6ft trellis no problem and went all over the ground but not a ONE HAS GERMINATED WHY thank you
black-eyed Susans disappeared
Black-eyed Susan’s naturally self-seed. That is, the flowers of one year provide the seeds that result in plants with flowers for the next year. Our hunch, and it’s only a guess based on your statement above, is that you removed the flower heads from the area. And this is based on the idea that you “took them down in November.” What did you take down? If those were black-eyed Susans and if you removed the flower (seed) heads, then no seeds were there to set themselves.
OR (the plot thickens) we are thinking that because black-eyed Susans are not climbers per se (they stand tall on long stems), could it be that you had another plant entirely growing up the trellis?? Perhaps you have a photo you can take to a nursery to inquire what it is? (We can not accept/receive photos.)
Black eyed Susan vine comes
Black eyed Susan vine comes to mind. I have both. Look very similar except the vine..well, vines. Spot on I think what you said about moving the plants.
Black eyed susans
I noticed a couple of people concerned about the plants dying back in the fall. I bought a single plant several years ago at the spring garden fair. It has multiplied and we have a patch about 4 feet across. It dies back pretty much to the ground each fall. I leave the dead flowers stems through the winter as birds, particularly goldfinches, eat the seeds out of the heads. New plants also start from short runners at the edge of the patch. We dig many of these up and give away the starts so the patch doesn't get too big. Very easy to grow, they come back on their own every year.
Self-seeding
Thanks, Jim! Good to hear a great success story! We all need advice and encouragement. Cheers!
Rabbit eating growth
A rabbit is eating my new growth. Will the plant send up new growth after the rabbit has gone?
keep rabbits out of garden
Rabbits do love this plant. There’s not a lot you can do this year, but next year consider placing wire cages around the plants early enough to prevent rabbits from reaching and eating the tender shoots. See more ways to keep rabbits out of the garden: http://www.almanac.com/pest/rabbits
Most of my flowers have
Most of my flowers have started to pop up. But my black eyed Susan's have not. I have had trouble the last few years as my soul is mostly clay. When will I know if they are coming back or if they didn't survive?
Thanks!!!!
Black-eyed Susans
Hi Samantha,
Depending on which region you live in, your black-eyed Susans should come up within the next month to bloom by early- to mid-June. Black-eyed Susans are extremely resilient native flowers, but sometimes even the most determined plant (and gardener) can fall short. If you are still worried they may not come up, now through May is the time to plant new seeds. They’ll germinate and sprout in 7-30 days and be ready to bloom by June.
We hope this helps!
BES
they are so not beautiful because they do no bloom do not plant them
Buds
I was told you can roughup the soil and put the whole see buds in the ground and chances are they will come up. True or false
Rudbeckia Seed Heads
You can plant whole seed heads but the results won’t be as good as properly drying the seeds and separating them to sew. The plant’s natural habit is to let the seed head dry on the stem; eventually it bursts and disperses individual seeds. If you want them to reach their full potential, it’s better to mimic that method.
rudbeckia little goldstar black eyed susan
I was informed that little goldstar black eyed susan was a perennial. I have about twenty of these plants that I made a border from in a raised flower bed. Some of them bloomed nicely but after blooming they started looking like they were dieing leaves turning brown and a couple of them died all the way to the ground, all of the foliage. Is this normal for them to do this and the ones that died all the way to the ground will they come back or are they dead for good? I took care of them and some of them still have nice foliage but I don't know why after flowering they looked like that. Thanks Patricia
black eyed susan seeds
hello!
I literally just cut my susies to the base because they were drying out. I saved a lot of the heads and am preparing to shake the seeds off to plant next year. Should i let them dry out for a few days before i shake them off and put them in the fridge? Should i cover the base of the plant now in mulch?
thanks!
Black-eyed Susan Seeds
Hi Cara,
You can put them in a glass jar and stick them in the fridge now. (You don’t want them to completely dry out, a bit of moisture ensures viability come spring.) Remember to stratify the seeds before sowing them.
Cutting back
My black eyed Susan's are falling over. Can I cut them back without hurting them as far as reseeding
Black-eyed Susan Seeds
Hi Linda,
It is a good idea to let the plants self sow by leaving the blooms on through the fall (some people stake their plants, others just let them flop over). When they are good and dry, then cut them back and shake the seed heads around to scatter them.
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