Rudbeckia aka ‘Black eye Susan’

Overview: 

Rudbeckia is a classic summer flower, fit for any cottage garden. They do well in containers but prefer to be in the ground or raised planter. These flowers are in the sunflower family, which comes as no surprise, as their daisy-like blooms resemble the structure of the sunflower. Rudbeckias come in all sorts of colors and sizes nowadays. They make an excellent cut flower, and florist swoon over their blooms.

Here in the low desert of Arizona, we like to grow the annual Rudbeckia Hirta. They can last up to three years in the landscape, but I always plant new ones each year in case they don’t make it back. They are prolific self-seeders, so you may see them pop up across your landscape.

If you live in colder areas zone 3-8 you can try growing the perennial Rudbeckia fulgida. This is the classic black-eye Susan, with yellow petals and black centers.

Seed starting:

Starting seeds for Rudbeckia is relatively easy. I usually sow 1-2 seeds per cell and thin to one per cell after germination. We surface sow the seeds ( spring seeds on top of soil) followed by a light spring of seed starting mix & vermiculite after sowing.

Rudbeckia are ‘cool season’ flowers meaning they like to germinate and get established under cooler conditions. After sowing, we will wrap the tray in cellophane, and place it in our fridge for 2 weeks. This cool period will aid in germination, and help seeds grow. If you don’t have access to a cooler space for a tray, you can place your seed packet in the cooler for the 2-week time frame before sowing.

Germination occurs typically after 7-14 days after removing the seedling tray from fridge. Check out my seed starting guide for more tips and tricks for indoor seed starting. Start seeds indoors in August-October.

When to plant outdoors: 

October-December in zone 9 & up

Early sping plant in zones 8 & lower

Spacing: 

9- 12” apart

Height:

12-24”

Sun: 

Full sun 6-8+ hours

Flower Support:

You can use Peony cages or Hortnova netting for taller varieties (24’+)

Fertilizing:

feed plants with low dosages of all-purpose fertilizer best blooms. They don’t need a lot, as they are native wildflowers.

Typical bloom time:

Late May - July here in Zone 9

July - September in colder zones

Succession plant?

No

Seed Sourcing:

Johnny’s seeds and Geo seeds are my go-to’s.

Pairing plants:

Marigolds, Zinnias, cosmos, yarrow, dahlias, stative, feverfew & more

Favorite varieties:

Rudbeckia Hirta:

rudbeckia Hirta ‘ Cherokee sunset’ beautiful flower mix with more autumnal fall notes. Mix is full of single, and double flowering blooms.

Mix of seasonal flowers like marigolds, alyssum and salvia make a great pairing with the rudbeckia.

Rudbeckia ‘Sahara’ is a beautiful more mauve blush color Rudbeckia. Flowers are a mix of colors in this color pallet. Range of single to double flowers. Florist favorite for sure!

Rudbeckia ‘Toto Rustic’ is a great addition to any summer garden. Their petals are bi-color with gold and rust. Excellent pairing with the purple fountain grass.

Rudbeckia ‘Cherokee sunset’ pairs well with any coneflower, especially this tomato red one.

More ‘Cherokee sunset’ rudbeckia, this time these are double! Beautiful rusty brown color.

This one is a cool one, because it doesn’t have a black center, it’s green! Rudbeckia ‘Irish eyes’ is a great choice for a more spring pallet. Rudbeckia are typically bloom early here in Zone 9, so this could be a great option to pair with your late spring/ early summer bloomers like zinnias, feverfew, and yarrow.

Close up image of ‘Cherokee sunset’ fluffy double blooms. Again, mix of double, and single blooms for a beautiful mix of flowers.