September Plant of the Month: Black-eyed Susan, Rudbeckia spp.

Black-eyed Susan, which has been referred to as the “poster child of Midwestern native plants,” can be linked to three species of Rudbeckia: R. hirta, R. fuldiga  and R. missouriensis, commonly called Missouri coneflower.  All are easy to grow and prefer full sun but will bloom in light shade. More than a dozen species of moths and butterflies and nearly 30 species of native bees are supported by the genus. Birds eat the seeds and deer tend to avoid the plants.

R. hirta occurs as an annual, biennial or a short-lived perennial. Grown from seed, it will bloom the first season. In tolerates a wider range of soils and moisture than its cousins. In the wild, it is a little coarse, with bristles on the leaves and and one- to three-foot stems, all topped with golden petaled flowers with dark brown disks at their centers. Blooms can be three inches across and it is also known as Gloriosa Daisy. The world “hirta” means “hairy.” Thre are several available cultivars that include ‘Cherry Brandy’ sports red flowers; Denver Daisy’ is an award-winning cultivar with a mahogany red eye; and ‘Indian Summer’ has huge flowers, and ‘Prairie Sun’ has a greenish yellow eye.

R. fulgida is a perennial that spreads by rhizomes and forming clumps. It likes average to dry soil, and deadheading will extend the bloom time. It grows to three feet and its slightly smaller blooms have brownish center disks.  Fulgida means "shining", which refers to the slightly shiny petals. It also has several cultivars including the very popular ‘Goldsturm’, which is slightly shorter and more manageable

R. missouriensis is a native perennial that forms large colonies in the states Ozark glades. It grows two to three feet tall topped by golden rayed blooms with black center disks on branched stems. It leaves also are hairy and are also narrower than the other Susans.