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Wildflower
Black-eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
Also called: Brown-eyed Susan
Updated 2026-09-23
The classic golden prairie daisy — cheerful, tough, and endlessly reseeding. Goldfinches strip the seed heads through fall if you leave them standing.
Black-eyed susan is about as close to a sure thing as a Texas wildflower gets: bright yellow daisies on a plant that tolerates clay, short droughts, and neglect, and that reseeds itself into a spreading colony without being asked. It's the classic prairie flower most people picture when they think of a Texas roadside in summer.
Growing & care
Deadhead for more bloom, or leave seed heads for birds. Reseeds freely in bare soil. Tolerates clay and short droughts.
Where black-eyed susan grows in Texas
The Native Plant Society of Texas lists it across the Cross Timbers, Edwards Plateau, Gulf Coast Prairies, Texas Blackland Prairies and Western Gulf Coastal Plain, covering most of the eastern two-thirds of the state. It grows in clay, loam or sandy soil and tolerates both dry and moist conditions once established.
How to plant black-eyed susan
Direct sow seed in fall or early spring, or set out transplants any time in the growing season. Transplants bloom the same year they're planted, while plants started from seed often wait until their second year to flower, which is worth knowing if you want color the first summer.
Watering black-eyed susan the first year
Water regularly through the first season, especially over summer, to extend the bloom window and help new plants settle in. It tolerates short droughts once established but appreciates occasional deep watering during the hottest stretches.
Black-eyed Susan care through the seasons
Deadhead spent blooms to keep more flowers coming through the season, or leave the seed heads standing for birds and to let the colony reseed itself into bare soil nearby. It behaves as an annual, biennial, or short-lived perennial depending on conditions, so a planting relies on that self-seeding to stay full year after year.
Common black-eyed susan problems
It isn't deer resistant, which sets it apart from most of the other wildflowers on this site and is worth knowing if deer are a regular problem in the yard. Otherwise it has few issues, tolerating clay soil and short dry spells without much complaint.
Wildlife value of black-eyed susan
It serves as a larval host for the bordered patch and gorgone checkerspot butterflies, and its nectar and pollen draw bees and other pollinators through a long summer bloom season. Left standing into fall, the seed heads are a favorite of goldfinches and other seed-eating birds.
Using black-eyed susan in the garden
Use it in a wildflower meadow, a cutting garden, or scattered through a mixed perennial bed where its long bloom season and reseeding habit can fill gaps between other plants. It also works well along a roadside or fence line planting meant to naturalize with minimal upkeep.
Black-eyed Susan FAQ
Is black-eyed susan an annual or a perennial?
It can behave as any of the three, an annual, biennial, or short-lived perennial, depending on growing conditions. Most plantings stay full over time because the plant reseeds itself readily into bare soil.
Is black-eyed susan deer resistant?
No, it isn't, which is somewhat unusual among the wildflowers on this site. Where deer pressure is heavy, expect some browsing.
Should I leave black-eyed susan seed heads standing in fall?
Yes, if you want to support birds and let the colony reseed. Goldfinches and other seed-eating birds work the heads through fall, and the dropped seed helps fill in bare soil the following year.
Bloom season
In bloom: May–Sep · Colors: yellow
Where to buy
Look for black-eyed susan (Rudbeckia hirta) at: Prairie Moon Nursery, Eden Brothers seed, Etsy seed sellers.
Guides featuring black-eyed susan
Sources
Range, nomenclature, and the USDA symbol above come from the federal plant record for this species. Check it yourself:
Good for
Plant it with
Natives that pair with black-eyed susan
Same conditions, same uses — species that share black-eyed susan's growing requirements and belong in the same bed.
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
A prairie staple whose big rosy daisies feed butterflies in summer and finches in winter.
Cardinal Flower
Lobelia cardinalis
Spikes of the most intense scarlet of any native flower, rising from moist shade in late summer.
Indian Blanket
Gaillardia pulchella
The red-and-gold pinwheel daisy that blankets Texas roadsides all summer.
Gayfeather
Liatris mucronata
Spires of feathery purple that open top-down in fall, when Monarchs are moving through and desperate for nectar.
Little Bluestem
Schizachyrium scoparium
The backbone grass of the American prairie, turning coppery-mahogany in fall and silver-tufted in winter.
Switchgrass
Panicum virgatum
An upright prairie grass with airy pink-bronze seed clouds and gold fall color.