black-eyed Susan

(Rudbeckia hirta var. pulcherrima)

Conservation Status
black-eyed Susan
 
  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

     
           
 
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.

 
  9/2/2022      
         
 

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)  
  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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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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Nancy Falkum

 
    black-eyed Susan      
 

Wayne Rasmussen

 
    black-eyed Susan      
           
 
MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos
 
 

Plant

 
    black-eyed Susan   black-eyed Susan  
           
    black-eyed Susan      
           
 

Flower Head

 
    black-eyed Susan   black-eyed Susan  
           
    black-eyed Susan      
           
 

Bud

 
    black-eyed Susan   black-eyed Susan  
           
 

Stem

 
    black-eyed Susan   black-eyed Susan  

 

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

       
 
Visitor Videos
 
       
 

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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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  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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