black-eyed Susan

(Rudbeckia hirta var. pulcherrima)

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List

not listed

NatureServe

N5 - Secure

SNR - Unranked

Minnesota

not listed

Wetland Indicator Status

Great Plains

FACU - Facultative upland

Midwest

FACU - Facultative upland

Northcentral & Northeast

FACU - Facultative upland

 
black-eyed Susan
 
 
Description

Black-eyed Susan is a 12 to 36 tall, erect, biennial or short-lived perennial forb that rises on one to several stems usually from a taproot, sometimes from only fibrous roots.

The stems are erect, usually branched mostly above the middle, ridged, and sparsely to densely covered with short, spreading to ascending hairs. They are not glaucous.

Stem leaves are alternate. Basal and lower stem leaves are on long, winged leaf stalks. They are inversely lance-shaped, tapered or angled at the base, and rounded or tapered to a blunt point at the tip. They are 2 to 11¾ long, ¼ to 1¼ wide, 3 to 5 times as long as wide. The upper and lower surfaces are sparsely to moderately hairy with spreading to loosely ascending hairs. They are usually rough to the touch and are not glaucous. The margins are usually untoothed but sometimes have widely spaced, fine, sharp, forward-pointing teeth. Basal and lower stem leaves are sometimes present at flowering.

Middle and upper stem leaves are stalkless or on short, winged leaf stalks. They are lance-shaped, egg-shaped, or elliptic, the uppermost almost linear, rounded or squared at the base, and rounded or tapered to a blunt point at the tip. They are ¾ to 8 long, and to 1½ wide. The upper leaves are clasp the stem at the base. The upper and lower surfaces are sparsely to moderately hairy with spreading to loosely ascending hairs. They are usually rough to the touch and are not glaucous. The margins are usually untoothed but sometimes have widely spaced, fine, sharp, forward-pointing teeth.

The inflorescence is a single flower head at the end of each stem and branch. Each flower head is on a hairy stalk that is up to of the plant height. The bracts at the base of the flower head are lance-shaped to linear, moderately to densely hairy, with moderate to dense spreading hairs on the margins.

The flower heads are 2 to 3 wide. There are 8 to 21 yellow ray florets and numerous brown disk florets. The disk is in the shape of a flattened cone. The flower heads are not fragrant.

The fruit is a dry, black, oblong, 4-angled, 1 16 to long cypsela with no fluffy tuft of hairs attached.

 

Height

12 to 36

 

Flower Color

Yellow ray florets, brown disk florets

 

Similar Species

Brown-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia triloba var. triloba) is a bushy plant with smaller flower heads. The flower heads have no more than 15 ray florets. At least some of the larger leaves are 3- lobed. Basal and lower stem leaves are often absent at flowering time.

Habitat

Dry to wet. Prairies, forest openings, roadsides, disturbed areas. Full to partial sun.

Ecology

Flowering

June to October

 

Pests and Diseases

 

Use

Black-eyed Susan is the state flower of Maryland.

Distribution

Distribution Map

 

Sources

2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 24, 28, 29, 30.

7/4/2024    
     

Nativity

Native

     

Occurrence

Common

Taxonomy

Kingdom

Plantae (green algae and land plants)

Subkingdom

Viridiplantae (green plants)

Infrakingdom

Streptophyta (land plants and green algae)

Superdivision

Embryophyta (land plants)

Division

Tracheophyta (vascular plants)

Subdivision

Spermatophytina (seed plants) / Angiospermae (flowering plants)

Class

Magnoliopsida (flowering plants)

Superorder

Asteranae

Order

Asterales (sunflowers, bellflowers, fanflowers, and allies)

Family

Asteraceae (sunflowers, daisies, asters, and allies)

Subfamily

Asteroideae

Supertribe

Helianthodae

Tribe

Heliantheae (sunflowers and allies)

Subtribe

Rudbeckiinae (black-eyed Susans, coneflowers, and prairie coneflowers)

Genus

Rudbeckia (black-eyed Susans and coneflowers)

Section

Rudbeckia

Species

Rudbeckia hirta (black-eyed Susan)

   

Subordinate Taxa

 

   

Synonyms

Rudbeckia hirta var. corymbifera

Rudbeckia hirta var. lanceolata

Rudbeckia hirta var. sericea

Rudbeckia hirta var. serotina

Rudbeckia longipes

Rudbeckia sericea

Rudbeckia serotina

Rudbeckia serotina var. corymbifera

Rudbeckia serotina var. lanceolata

Rudbeckia serotina var. sericea

   

Common Names

black-eyed Susan

blackeyed Susan

eastern black-eyed Susan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glossary

Bract

Modified leaf at the base of a flower stalk, flower cluster, or inflorescence.

 

Clasping

Describing a leaf that wholly or partly surrounds the stem but does not fuse at the base.

 

Cypsela

A dry, one-chambered, single-seeded fruit, formed from a single carpel, with the seed attached to the membranous outer layer (wall) only by the seed stalk; the wall, formed from the wall of the inferior ovary and also from other tissues derived from the receptacle or hypanthium, does not split open at maturity, but relies on decay or predation to release the contents.

 

Glaucous

Pale green or bluish gray due to a whitish, powdery or waxy film, as on a plum or a grape.

 

Winged leaf stalk

A leaf stalk with a leaf-like or membrane-like extension along both sides.

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Alfredo Colon

black-eyed Susan  

black-eyed Susan

Dan W. Andree

goldenrod crab spider

Crab Spider Twin Valley Prairie SNA...

Nancy Falkum

black-eyed Susan

Wayne Rasmussen

black-eyed Susan
MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos
black-eyed Susan   black-eyed Susan

Plant

 

Plant

     
black-eyed Susan   black-eyed Susan
 

Flower head

 

 

 

 

Plant

 

 

     
black-eyed Susan   black-eyed Susan

Flower head

 

Flower head

     
black-eyed Susan   black-eyed Susan

Bud

 

Bud

     
black-eyed Susan   black-eyed Susan
 

Stem

 

 

 

 

Stem

 

 

 

Camera

Slideshows

Rudbechia hirta
Susanne Wiik

Rudbechia hirta
About

Flekksolhatt

Black Eyed Susan
DianesDigitals

Black Eyed Susan
About

Copyright DianesDigitals

Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)
Andree Reno Sanborn

Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)

Rudbeckia hirta BLACK-EYED SUSAN
Frank Mayfield

Rudbeckia hirta BLACK-EYED SUSAN

 

slideshow

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Other Videos

Minnesota Native Plant - Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia Hirta var. Pulcherrima)
MNNativePlants

About

Published on Jul 15, 2013

This video shows the common Minnesota native plant, Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia Hirta var. Pulcherrima). A beautiful native that is commonly used in native and non-native plantings.

Sweet Blackeyed Susan - Rudbeckia subtomentosa blooming at Ion Exchange
Ionxchange

About

Uploaded on Aug 1, 2011

Earthyman views Sweet Blackeyed Susan (Rudbeckia subtomentosa) blooming at Ion Exchange in Northeast Iowa in July http://www.ionxchange.com

Rudbeckia flower time lapse Carol's
Neil Bromhall

About

Uploaded on Sep 2, 2009

Time-lapse Rudbeckia flower.
Filmed by Neil Bromhall for www.rightplants4me.co.uk

 

Camcorder

Visitor Sightings
 

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Alfredo Colon
6/12/2024

Location: Albany, NY

black-eyed susan

Alfredo Colon
6/10/2024

Location: Albany, NY

black-eyed susan
Dan W. Andree
7/2/2024

Location: Twin Valley Prairie SNA

Crab Spider Twin Valley Prairie SNA...

goldenrod crab spider
Nancy Falkum
6/26/2022

Location: Weaver Dunes Preserve, Cox Unit

black-eyed Susan
Wayne Rasmussen
6/25/2016

Location: Oxbow Park & Zollman Zoo

black-eyed Susan
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