Black-eyed Susan
Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) is the most cost-effective early-bloom forb in native seed. Behaving as a biennial or short-lived perennial, it flowers in the first or second season, suppresses weeds while slow perennials root, and then gradually yields to longer-lived species.
Why landowners plant black-eyed susan
- Extremely high seed count per pound keeps mix costs low while boosting seeds-per-square-foot.
- Early bloom satisfies CP42 first-bloom-period requirements in most states.
- Provides visible establishment-year success that reassures landowners and inspectors.
- Supports a broad range of generalist native bees, hoverflies, and butterflies.
Site fit
Include black-eyed Susan on nearly any upland site — dry, mesic, disturbed, or reclaimed. It is standard in CP42, CP25, CP43 prairie strips, and roadside plantings. On wet-mesic ground, substitute or supplement with sweet black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia subtomentosa).
Establishment
Tiny seed that needs light for germination — broadcast on the surface and cultipack rather than drilling deep. Dormant or early-spring seeding both work; it germinates readily without long stratification.
Management
Populations peak in years two and three, then decline as perennials close the canopy. Mid-contract disturbance (burn or light disk) will bring it back from the seed bank.
CRP practice fit
Reliable early bloom-period forb in nearly every pollinator mix.
Low-cost diversity and early cover in prairie reconstructions.
Common in prairie strips for visible year-one establishment.
Featured mixes with black-eyed susan
Pairs well with
Purple coneflower · Little bluestem · Wild bergamot · Partridge pea
Frequently asked questions
It behaves as a biennial or short-lived perennial. Individual plants live two to three years, but reliable self-seeding keeps it in the stand until the perennial matrix closes. Disturbance such as burning or light disking regenerates it from the seed bank.
It is inexpensive, has roughly 1.7 million seeds per pound, blooms in the first or second year, and satisfies early bloom-period requirements. That combination makes it the cheapest way to raise both diversity counts and seeds per square foot.