Key Features
- Produces bright yellow daisy-like flowers with contrasting dark brown centers.
- Upright branching growth creates a cheerful and natural garden display.
- Ideal for cottage gardens, borders, wildflower beds, meadow plantings, and pollinator gardens.
- Performs best in full sun with well-drained soil.
- Adds long-lasting seasonal color and attractive texture to garden landscapes.
Growing Benefits
- Brings vibrant yellow color to flower beds and borders.
- Attracts bees, butterflies, and other visiting pollinators.
- Works well in cottage, meadow, and naturalized garden settings.
- Provides strong visual contrast between golden petals and dark centers.
- Offers a beginner-friendly flowering plant for sunny garden locations.
Seed Specifications
- Common Name: Black-Eyed Susan, Gloriosa Daisy
- Botanical Name: Rudbeckia hirta
- Plant Type: Short-lived perennial, often grown as an annual or biennial
- Colors: Yellow petals with dark brown centers
- Height: Approximately one to three feet
- Sunlight: Full sun
- Soil: Well-drained, moderately fertile soil
- Water: Moderate; relatively drought tolerant once established
- Germination Time: Approximately seven to twenty-one days under favorable conditions
- Sowing Depth: Approximately one-eighth inch
- Spacing: Approximately twelve to eighteen inches
- Growing Zones: USDA Zones three through nine
- Flowering/Maturity: Generally flowers from summer through fall, depending on climate and planting time
- Uses: Cottage gardens, borders, wildflower beds, pollinator gardens, meadow plantings, containers, and naturalized areas
Growing Tips
- Select a location with full sun and well-drained soil.
- Sow seeds shallowly and press them gently into the soil.
- Keep the soil lightly moist until seedlings become established.
- Deadhead faded flowers for continued blooms or leave seed heads for birds and natural reseeding.
Seed Storage
Store unused seeds in a cool, dry, dark location. Keep them in their original packet or an airtight container protected from moisture, heat, and direct sunlight.
Unique Facts About Seeds
- Black-Eyed Susan is scientifically known as Rudbeckia hirta and belongs to the Asteraceae family.
- Its dark central cone creates the distinctive appearance behind its common name.
- Rudbeckia hirta is native to much of North America.
- Mature seed heads can provide food for seed-eating birds.
Growing Instructions
Planting Season: Sow outdoors in spring after the danger of hard frost has passed. Fall sowing can also work in suitable climates.
Sowing: Prepare a loose, weed-free seedbed and scatter seeds over the soil surface. Press them gently into the soil.
Depth: Cover seeds with approximately one-eighth inch of soil.
Spacing: Thin seedlings to approximately twelve to eighteen inches apart.
Sunlight: Provide full sun for vigorous growth and abundant flowering.
Soil: Choose well-drained, moderately fertile soil. Avoid areas that remain consistently waterlogged.
Watering: Keep soil lightly moist during germination and early establishment. Once established, water when the soil begins to dry.
Germination: Seeds commonly germinate within approximately seven to twenty-one days under favorable conditions. Temperature and moisture can influence germination.
Transplanting: If starting indoors, transplant seedlings carefully after they develop several true leaves and outdoor conditions are suitable.
Fertilizing: Heavy fertilization is generally unnecessary. If soil fertility is low, apply a balanced fertilizer according to the product label.
Care: Keep plants free from competing weeds and provide adequate spacing for airflow. Remove faded blooms to encourage additional flowers or leave seed heads for wildlife.
Flowering/Maturity: Black-Eyed Susan generally flowers from summer into fall, with timing influenced by planting date, climate, and growing conditions.