Quercus

Black-eyed Susan

Rudbeckia hirta

Native to Kentucky (estimated)

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

Care

  • Optional bloom tip: Removing spent flowers can extend blooming into fall.
Care sources
Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

22CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including KY

Genus host records with ranges including KY · Rudbeckia

  • Chlosyne nycteisSilvery Checkerspot
  • Acharia stimuleaSaddleback Caterpillar Moth
  • Adaina ambrosiaeAmbrosia Plume Moth, Ragweed Plume Moth
  • Archips griseaGray Archips
  • Chlorochlamys chloroleucariaBlackberry Looper Moth
  • Epiblema carolinanaGray-Blotched Epiblema
  • Epiblema tripartitanaThree-Parted Epiblema
  • Eupithecia miserulataCommon Eupithacia, Common Pug
  • Homoeosoma electellaSunflower Moth
  • Lithophane unimodaDowdy Pinion
Show all 22
  • Orthotaenia undulanaDusky Leafroller
  • Papaipema cataphractaBurdock Border, Potato-Stalk Borer
  • Papaipema nebrisStalk Borer
  • Papaipema nelitaConeflower Borer
  • Papaipema unimodaMeadow Rue Borer, Chain Fern Border Moth
  • Phtheochroa birdanaBird's Cochylid
  • Synchlora aerataWavy-Lined Emerald, Camouflaged Looper
  • Synchlora frondariaSouthern Emerald
  • Vanessa carduiPainted Lady, Cosmopolite
  • Epiblema tandana
  • Isophrictis similiella
  • Paralobesia rhoifructana
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
Summer

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

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

Kentucky rankNot available
Global rankG5
KY statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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Sources