Plant Database / Texas Natives / Black-Eyed Susan
Texas Natives

Black-Eyed Susan

Rudbeckia hirta
Asteraceae (Daisy)

A cheerful native daisy that reseeds itself and feeds pollinators from late spring into fall.

Texas nativeDrought-toughFull sunPollinatorBeginner-friendly
Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) illustration — Texas Roots plant database, by Jordan Polasek
Sun
Full sun
Water
Low
Soil
Tolerant
pH
6.0–7.0
Hardiness
Native annual/short perennial
Height
1–3 ft
Spacing
12–18 in
Days to harvest
Blooms first year

What it is

Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) is in the Asteraceae (Daisy) family. A cheerful native daisy that reseeds itself and feeds pollinators from late spring into fall.

How to grow it

It wants full sun, water it low, and give it tolerant soil. Target a soil pH around 6.0–7.0. Space plants about 12–18 in apart. Expect roughly Blooms first year. Native annual/short perennial.

How it's used

Black-Eyed Susan is used: ornamental; pollinator; seed for birds.

🔎 How to identify it

  • Hairy lance-shaped leaves
  • Golden petals, dark center cone
  • Self-sows readily

Not for eating

Grown for the garden, soil, or pollinators — not as food.
🌤 Before you plant: check the live 7-day garden weather to time it right for frost and heat.

Part of the free Texas Roots plant database, compiled by Jordan Polasek from his greenhouse in El Campo, Texas. Free to read and share. If it helped, the best thanks is to grow something.