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 aster family, Asteraceae, 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 flowers with a 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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Yes, you can plant seeds in
Yes, you can plant seeds in the fall. Just make sure the flower heads are completely dry before cutting them off. Find the seeds in the flower heads and sprinkle them over the soil and cover with a thin layer of soil.
My BES is a vine and so far
My BES is a vine and so far it seems that others' BES are not. Do I cut the vine back in the Fall if so, by how much? Could it be that I have an altogether different plant. ? Thanks
Hi Christine, Black-eyed
Hi Christine,
Black-eyed Susans come in two different varieties. One is a bush variety and the other is a vine (Thunbergia alata) that you often see in hanging baskets. It is a perennial and can be cut back in the fall. In colder regions it is recommended to bring the plant indoors for the winter months.
I'm a little confused. My
I'm a little confused. My daughter just bought a house and I want to transplant some of my abundant Black-eyed Susan in her yard. Some say the best time to transplant is spring, some say fall. Is one better than the other? If I transplant in fall I assume I need to wait until it is done blooming. Thanks for any advice.
We live in Oklahoma. Not sure
We live in Oklahoma. Not sure if when/how we do it is standard rule of thumb.
Every September/October for the last eight years, we divide/transplant black-eyed Susan's to different spots in our yard, parentals yard, and give to friends. Bloom like crazy following spring.
When done blooming, I look for stalks that aren't quite ready to fall off at the slightest hint of wind. Cut the stalk to 'bout 4-6 inches high. Carefully dig up a small section. Transplant to new spot immediately.
I cut a few flowers from my
I cut a few flowers from my Grandfathers garden, and I would like to continue to grow them in my garden. How can I do this?
Well, you have to plant a
Well, you have to plant a seed. Once the flowers are cut, they can't be used again. So, you can either buy the same seeds from a garden store. They're really cheap. Or, you can leave some of the flowers on the plant and when the seed pod is dry, you can simply pull them from the seed head, dry on a table, and plant next year in the spring when you're supposed to do so.
I live on the Oregon coast
I live on the Oregon coast where it rarely gets over 65 degrees and has high humidity. I love BES and wonder what variety is best for our climate...
I planted Blackeyed Susans
I planted Blackeyed Susans last year and they did very well. This year they came back and are very anemic. About half the steams and flowers are a lot smaller than last year. I was looking forward to these spreading? Any idea what could be going on? Thank you!
Hi, Sp: First, be sure to
Hi, Sp: First, be sure to check them for pests as listed above. One possibility is that your soil has become depleted ... trying enriching it, but not too much. If they are super cramped, they may need to be divided. Another possibility is that surrounding plants or structures may have changed since last year and your ladies are getting less sun.
Thank you so much for your
Thank you so much for your reply. I know BES don't really like fertilizer. What would you suggest I enrich my soil with? Bone meal?? Also, last Winter was very cold with a lot of snow here in MD. Could that have caused this? Thanks again!
Hi, again, Sp: The challenge
Hi, again, Sp: The challenge here is that only some of your plants are underperforming. This usually means that these underperformers have not been getting or are not getting enough of something, whether it's space, warmth, water, nutrients, sun, etc. Bonemeal would not be a good choice, as its phosphorus is not really needed that much. Try a light (up to half-strength) solution of something like 10-5-20 (nitrogen-phosphorus-potash) once a week. Also, add a light layer of mulch to help retain moisture. Could it be cold damage? Well... possibly. Cold is bad, but then again, snow is good (insulator). Keep at it!
I recently purchased some
I recently purchased some distressed black-eyed Susan's that still have great blooms. They are in 1 quart pots and I need to plant them now. Spacing and depth is my concern. Please help with an answer.
Hi, Cec: The distressing is a
Hi, Cec: The distressing is a little distressing, as we don't know what this was. Plant them at the same depth they are now in the pots, but in new, good soil -- topsoil amended with a little compost. It doesn't need to be too rich (actually, that's bad), but it needs to be good. We say plant about 18 inches apart. They will self-seed and fill in eventually. Too close together, and they are susceptible to disease. Farther apart to start means more air circulation. Hopefully, your gals are well enough to stand up on their own; if not, stake them till they get healthy. Water well and monitor. We hope they feel better!
I planted five plants in
I planted five plants in early spring.
All have bloomed and ground well.
The center plant has had the yellow peddles disappear. new flowers grow and the same thing happens. (just the yellow peddles) Now starting to happen to the nearest two plants. Your thoughts?
We can't be certain but here
We can't be certain but here are a couple of ideas:
• This plant is sensitive to day length; in fact, it is sometimes called a "long day" plant." As the daylength shortens, flowering is reduced and increasinglly malformed—although admittedly, the days are not yet very short.
• Could you have Prairie coneflower, which resembles bkac-eyed Susan? Its petals fall as its flower disk darkens.
I have a few acres of field
I have a few acres of field behind my house that is completely covered in wild Black-eyed Susans that come back every year despite being mowed for hay. How can I transplant these ones to a better spot in my yard where I need some coverage and what is the best timing to do so?
The best times are in the
The best times are in the fall/October time frame or early spring/early April. just dig them up and transplant them. The roots could be up to a foot deep. it varies with each plant and how long they have been there. They are very hearty plants. They should do well. The more sun they get the better. At least for my plants. I transplanted my plants in April and they grew and bloomed by the end of June. Next year they should bloom sooner.
I noticed today that the
I noticed today that the stems of my black eyes Susans had been chewed off. Some of the leaves were eaten but the flowers and stems were still there. I looked for rabbit and deer droppings and didn't find anything. Does anyone know what could be do this?
If this happened overnight,
If this happened overnight, it would normally be a deer or rabbit or animal. They usually leave the stem and go for the leaves.
Otherwise, look carefully at the leaves. Caterpillars tend to chew holes in the leaves. Slugs chews ragged, irregular shaped holes in leaves that cross the veins. See our pests and critter library to I.D. and learn more: http://www.almanac.com/topics/...
Thank you, I found out that
Thank you, I found out that it was indeed a rabbit, but it was a young one so it fit through the fence.
My gardener spaced out and
My gardener spaced out and didnt plant seeds I had purchased earlier this year. (I'm in Southern California).
Is it too late to germinate and plant them at this stage? (July)
THANK YOU
In Southern California, we'd
In Southern California, we'd recommend that you sow and transplant your black-eyed susans in September or October at this point.
In my flower garden I
In my flower garden I originally planted a circular cluster of irises that thrived and multiplied. A few years ago, I added some black-eyed susans in a part of the garden not to far away from the irises. Lo and behold, the black eyed susans have now invaded the circular space that the irises are in. This Spring they have completely overrun my irises, to the point that only 10% of the irises bloomed :( The Black-eyed susans, which will bloom around the beginning of August, are thriving. How would you suggest I extricate/separate them from my irises? It seems that the root structure of the irises and the susans have meshed and become somewhat entangled. Any advice would be appreciated.
You can dig up the irises and
You can dig up the irises and Black-eyed Susans that grow together and carefully separate them. Then replant them in separate flowerbeds. You may loose some of the Black-eyed Susans in the process. A good time to transplant irises is in the summer after they have bloomed.
at anytime before flowering
at anytime before flowering should you pinch back a black eye susan like you do a mum.
It's best to prune after the
It's best to prune after the black eyed Susan has first bloomed. Look on the stem below the spent flower. If there are new flower buds forming cut just above the first flower bud below the dead flower. When you see no more flower buds cut the stem close to the ground. This will cause new growth at the base of the plant.
We had a small bed (3' x 8')
We had a small bed (3' x 8') of black-eyed susans that had happily lived and bred in the same spot (a "planter" I made on top of a rock outcropping)for ten to fifteen years. Last summer the plants started looking peaked (fewer in number, and shorter), and this year none of them came back.
We also have a few Shasta Daisies in the same spot, and none of them came back either. All that is growing there now is grass.
We live adjacent to Puget Sound in the Pacific Northwest.
What might have killed off the black eyed susans, and if I replant are the new plants likely to survive?
I am a new homeowner and was
I am a new homeowner and was doing some "weeding" in one of the gardens of my house. Unfortunately I mistook black Eyed Susan sprouts (perrenials) for weeds! I dug up half of them from the roots before realizing what they were...from a neighbor! I don't know much about this stuff and I desperately retrieved all the dug up plants and replanted them. Will they from back this year or will I now have to wait until next year? :*(
Thanks for any help or suggestions!
Danielle
Long Island, NY
If you had enough roots on
If you had enough roots on the plants that you dug up they should be doing fine. By now you should already see some new growth if they survived.
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