Appearance

Appearance

This upright annual, biennial, or short-lived perennial usually stands 1–4 ft (0.3–1.2 m) tall. Short, stiff hairs make the leaves and stems feel rough.

Flowers

Each flower head has yellow to orange petals around a dark brown or purple-brown dome. Garden cultivars may add red or burgundy bands and can vary greatly in flower size.

Flowering time

Bloom time changes across the country: May–July in North Carolina, June–September in Illinois, and June–October in the Northeast.

Look-alikes

orange coneflowerRudbeckia fulgida

Black-eyed Susan usually has narrower leaves and noticeably stiffer, denser hairs. Orange coneflower (Rudbeckia fulgida) tends to have rounder leaves near the ground, less hair, smaller but more numerous flowers, and grows in lasting clumps.

Why they get mixed up · Both are often sold or casually called black-eyed Susan and have yellow petals around a dark cone.

common sunflowerHelianthus annuus

Common sunflower usually has much larger leaves and 3–6 in (8–15 cm) flower heads on stout plants that can reach 10 ft (3 m). Black-eyed Susan is usually shorter, with smaller heads and conspicuously bristly stems.

Why they get mixed up · Both have yellow petals around a dark center and rough foliage.

Where it lives

Typical habitats

• prairies
• fields
• roadsides
• open woods

Range

It occurs through most of the United States and is especially widespread east of the Rocky Mountains. Four varieties divide much of that range, from Florida and the Southeast to the broad-ranging var. pulcherrima.

Preferred conditions

It grows in full sun to partial shade and handles clay, loam, or sandy soil. Slightly moist to moderately dry, well-drained sites suit it best.

Flowering

Flowers Jun–Oct

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Flowers

Flowers Jun–Oct

Life cycle

Reproduction

Bees and flies pollinate the flowers. Plants reproduce by seed and can also send new shoots from the root crown.

Seed dispersal

The small, four-sided seeds have no fluffy pappus. They remain packed in the dry brown flower head.

Growing it

Care

It grows easily from seed and often self-sows. Deadheading can extend bloom, while leaving dry seed heads provides food for birds.

Connected species

Ties with other wildlife

American goldfinches and other songbirds eat the seeds in fall, and several butterfly and moth caterpillars use the plant.

Pollinators

The flowers provide nectar to butterflies and other pollinators.

Pollinators

• beesAnthophila

  They visit the flower heads for nectar and pollen.

Name and classification

Varieties and forms

Common garden selections range from solid gold to orange, red-banded, or burgundy flower heads.

Conservation

IUCN Red List

NENot Evaluated·Not yet assessed