Black-eyed Susan

Rudbeckia hirta

Golden flowers, a dark central dome, and rough, hairy foliage. A self-seeding biennial or short-lived perennial.

77

Strong

Native to Florida. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 100%

Height: 2–4 feet
Spread: 1–2 feet
Light: Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture: Somewhat dry to moist

Space about 1.5 ft apart from its recorded spread, about 44 per 100 sq ft. Enter your bed size for a count

Will it fit your yard?

Rudbeckia hirta — bloom photograph — Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Original photograph

At a glance

Life cycle: Biennial / short-lived perennial
Leaves: Deciduous
Bloom: May to July
Fruiting season: Summer to fall

JFMAMJJASOND

Striped: May continue with deadheading.

Recorded in 63 Florida counties.

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Florida. Shared habitat, not food. 79 animals.

American Crow
Corvus brachyrhynchos
Birds. 1 shared habitat
American Goldfinch
Carduelis tristis
Birds. 1 shared habitat
American Kestrel
Falco sparverius
Birds. 1 shared habitat
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
Birds. 1 shared habitat
American Woodcock
Scolopax minor
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Bachman's Sparrow
Aimophila aestivalis
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Bald Eagle
Haliaeetus leucocephalus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Barred Owl
Strix varia
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Belted Kingfisher
Megaceryle alcyon
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Black Vulture
Coragyps atratus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Blue Grosbeak
Passerina caerulea
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Blue Jay
Cyanocitta cristata
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Polioptila caerulea
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Brown Creeper
Certhia americana
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Brown Thrasher
Toxostoma rufum
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Brown-headed Nuthatch
Sitta pusilla
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Carolina Chickadee
Poecile carolinensis
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Carolina Wren
Thryothorus ludovicianus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Cedar Waxwing
Bombycilla cedrorum
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Chimney Swift
Chaetura pelagica
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Chipping Sparrow
Spizella passerina
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Chuck-will's-widow
Caprimulgus carolinensis
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Common Grackle
Quiscalus quiscula
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Common Ground-dove
Columbina passerina
Birds. 1 shared habitat

All wildlife of Florida

Care

Optional bloom tip: Removing spent flowers can extend blooming into fall.

Care sources

NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Rudbeckia hirta

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

13CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including FL

Genus host records with ranges including FL · Rudbeckia

Chlosyne nycteisSilvery Checkerspot
Acharia stimuleaSaddleback Caterpillar Moth
Adaina ambrosiaeAmbrosia Plume Moth, Ragweed Plume Moth
Archips griseaGray Archips
Chlorochlamys chloroleucariaBlackberry Looper Moth
Epiblema tripartitanaThree-Parted Epiblema
Eupithecia miserulataCommon Eupithacia, Common Pug
Homoeosoma electellaSunflower Moth
Orthotaenia undulanaDusky Leafroller
Papaipema cataphractaBurdock Border, Potato-Stalk Borer

Show all 13

Phtheochroa birdanaBird's Cochylid
Synchlora frondariaSouthern Emerald
Vanessa carduiPainted Lady, Cosmopolite

Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)

56BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Rudbeckia

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0

25Specialist beesPollen specialists

Pollen specialists · Rudbeckia

Andrena aliciae
Andrena asteris
Andrena rudbeckiae
Diadasia enavata
Dieunomia bolliana
Dieunomia heteropoda
Megachile inimica
Megachile parallela
Megachile pugnata
Megachile xylocopoides

Show all 25

Melissodes bidentis
Melissodes boltoniae
Melissodes coreopsis
Melissodes denticulatus
Melissodes dentiventris
Melissodes desponsus
Melissodes druriellus
Melissodes illatus
Melissodes subillatus
Melissodes trinodis
Melissodes wheeleri
Paranthidium jugatorium
Perdita octomaculata
Protandrena albitarsis
Protandrena andrenoides

Smith, Bachelder, Russell, Morales, Mosher & Seltmann 2024, Bee-Specialization-Modeling v0.6.1 (specialist host table compiled from J. Fowler's pollen specialist bee lists), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0

—BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

1AntsRecorded seed interactions

Solenopsis invicta

Solenopsis invicta: Seed predation.

Beetles 5

Acmaeodera pulchella
Centrinus scutellum album
Diabrotica 12-punctata
Mordella scutellaris
Typocerus sinuatus

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

Flies 15

Archytas analis
Eristalis latifrons
Exoprosopa decora
Exoprosopa emarginata
Exoprosopa fascipennis
Helophilus latifrons
Phthiria cincta
Phthiria sulphurea
Sapromyza vulgaris
Scepsis fulvicollis

Show all 15

Spallanzania hesperidarum
Sphaerophoria cylindrica
Trichophora ruficauda
Volucella fasciata
Zodion fulvifrons

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

Adult butterflies / moths 5

Argynnis cybele
Limochores taumas
Phyciodes tharos
Plusia simplex
Thecla calanus

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

Other wasps 4

Leionotus arvensis
Priononyx thomae
Sphex nigricans
Stictiella pictifrons

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

Other insects 1

Lygus pratensis

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family: Asteraceae
Hardiness: Zones 3a–8b
Soil pH: Acidic to alkaline
Flower color: Yellow, orange or red
Growth rate: Rapid
Growth habit: Single stem
Foliage color: Green
Fruit begins: Summer
Fruit ends: Fall

What its natural habitat tells you

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Clay, loam, or sand. Avoid excess fertilizer; deadheading can extend flowering. Watch for powdery mildew, slugs, and snails. NC State Extension

Growing sources and scope

Bloom · “Summer” · USDA PLANTS (ranked first; Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differs) · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Flower color · “Yellow, orange or red” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differ)
Foliage color · “Green” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Fruit begins · “Summer” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox · Species profile fruit display season; not a local ripening date
Fruit ends · “Fall” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs) · Species profile fruit display season; not a local ripening date
Growth habit · “Single stem” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Growth rate · “Rapid” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Hardiness · “Zones 3a–8b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder differs)
Height · “2–4 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Tennessee Smart Yards, USDA PLANTS, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, Minnesota Wildflowers, Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differ)
Leaves · “Deciduous” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Life cycle · “Biennial or perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Minnesota Wildflowers differ)
Light · “Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day); Partial shade (direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Tennessee Smart Yards, Virginia DCR Piedmont, Virginia DCR Coastal Plain, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differ)
Soil · “Moist; Occasionally dry” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Tennessee Smart Yards, Virginia DCR Piedmont, Virginia DCR Coastal Plain, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differ)
Soil pH · “Acidic to alkaline” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center differs)
Spread · “1–2 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox

Recognizing it

Hairy stems; rough, simple leaves arranged alternately; yellow rays around a raised brown center. Lower leaves form a basal rosette. Identification source

Also known as

Black eyed Susan; Blackeyed Susan

Conservation status

Florida rank	S5
Global rank	G5
FL status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

Will it fit your yard?

Check this plant against your county, sun and soil moisture. Conditions are checked in your browser.

Choose a county to begin.

How to check your spot

Growing cautions

Self-seeds. Freely self-seeds. NC State Extension Plant Toolbox

For planning only; these do not change the score or Fit.

Sources