Black Eyed Susan

In Fleur-ish, Black-Eyed Susan represents flourishing. Its ability to thrive in compromised environments parallels how communities regenerate after disruption. Bright petals emerge from a dark center, visualizing the act of flourishing.

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Meet the Plant

Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) is a biennial or short-lived perennial wildflower in the aster family (Asteraceae), native to eastern and central North America including New York. It typically grows one to three feet tall, with coarse, hairy stems and leaves, and produces daisy-like flower heads two to three inches across. Each bloom features eight to twenty bright golden-yellow ray florets surrounding a dome-shaped, dark brown to black central cone — the "black eye" that gives the plant its name. It thrives in sunny, open habitats including meadows, roadsides, and disturbed ground, tolerating a wide range of soils. In New York, it blooms from June through September, making it one of summer's most recognizable native wildflowers.

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Life in the Wild

Black-Eyed Susan originated across the tallgrass prairies and open woodlands of North America and was well established in the Northeast long before European settlement. Indigenous peoples, including the Ojibwe, used the plant medicinally — preparing root infusions to treat colds and worms, and applying root poultices to snakebites and sores. The plant is a vital ecological resource: its nectar and pollen attract a wide range of bees, butterflies, beetles, and flies, while its seed heads provide winter food for goldfinches and other birds. It also serves as a larval host plant for several native butterfly species, including the silvery checkerspot.

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Cultivating Form

Breeders have extensively cultivated Black-Eyed Susan, transforming the original species into a wide range of garden varieties. The most significant development came in the late 1950s, when botanist Alfred Blakeslee of Smith College used the chemical colchicine to induce chromosome doubling in the plant, producing the 'Gloriosa Daisy' — a larger-flowered, more varied cultivar that was introduced commercially at the 1957 Philadelphia Flower Show by the Burpee seed company. Modern cultivars now come in colors from pale yellow through orange, red, and mahogany brown, with some displaying bicolor patterns. Compact dwarf varieties bred for containers and border plantings stand in sharp contrast to the tall, sprawling habit of the wild species.