Rudbeckia hirta Linnaeus var. pulcherrima Farwell

Common Black Eyed Susan; Weedy Black Eyed Susan

Herb

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Vascular

Common Black-Eyed Susan is an introduced annual, biennial, or short-lived perennial in the Sunflower family (Asteraceae). It can be found throughout Alabama. Common Black-Eyed Susan occurs on roadsides, and in disturbed areas. It has a tap root. Common Black-Eyed Susan has stems that are 1-3 feet in height, pubescent, and branched or simple. The stems are leafy throughout. Leaves are alternate, basal (forming a rosette that may be absent at flowering) and cauline. Basal leaves are petiolate, lanceolate to oblanceolate in outline, entire or serrulate, and pubescent. Stem leaves are alternate, petiolate or sessile, spatulate, oblanceolate, or broadly linear in outline, entire or serrate, and pubescent. Flowers are produced in heads. The heads are arranged in corymbiform arrays. Each head has 8-16 yellow-orange ray flowers that are often marked in dark reddish brown at their base, and 200-500 disc purple disc flowers. The fruit is an achene. Common Black-Eyed Susan is readily available as seed from many nurseries. It is a very easy plant to grow, and flowers throughout the summer months. It is not picky about soil type, but best flowering is in full to partial sun. Remove old flower heads to promote re-blooming. It can be used in a perennial bed, in a wildflower meadow, in prairies, and naturalized along wood lines Once established, it readily re-seeds itself. Common Black-Eyed Susan is a larval food host for the Silvery Checkerspot Butterfly (Chlosyne nycteis).—A. Diamond

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Not Native

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