# Rudbeckia hirta
**Rudbeckia hirta**, commonly known as black-eyed Susan (also blackeyed Susan, gloriosa daisy, or bristly coneflower), is a North American flowering plant in the sunflower family ([Asteraceae](https://www.edgepedia.org/asteraceae)). It is a warm-season forb that behaves as an annual, biennial, or short-lived perennial, bearing yellow daisy-like flower heads with a dark central cone. The species was first published by Linnaeus in *Species Plantarum* in 1753 and is native to central and eastern Canada and the United States, though it has been introduced as an ornamental and has naturalized across much of Europe and elsewhere.[1](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn%3Alsid%3Aipni.org%3Anames%3A223740-2) • [2](https://research.fs.usda.gov/feis/species-reviews/rudhir)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Scientific name | *Rudbeckia hirta* L., first published in Sp. Pl.: 907 (1753); family Asteraceae[1](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn%3Alsid%3Aipni.org%3Anames%3A223740-2) |
| Life cycle | Annual, biennial, or short-lived perennial forb; 0.3 to 1.0 m tall[2](https://research.fs.usda.gov/feis/species-reviews/rudhir) |
| Flowers | Heads up to 2.5 inches (6 cm) across with eight to twenty yellow ray flowers around a flattish cone-like disk; blooms summer through early fall[3](https://plants.usda.gov/DocumentLibrary/plantguide/pdf/pg_ruhi2.pdf) |
| Varieties | Four accepted: var. *hirta*, var. *angustifolia*, var. *floridana*, var. *pulcherrima*[1](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn%3Alsid%3Aipni.org%3Anames%3A223740-2) |
| Distribution | Native from central and eastern Canada to the USA; introduced and naturalized in much of Europe, Japan, and other regions[1](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn%3Alsid%3Aipni.org%3Anames%3A223740-2) |
| Ecological role | Pioneer species of early succession; recommended for restoration of disturbed areas and prairies[2](https://research.fs.usda.gov/feis/species-reviews/rudhir) |
| Conservation status | Not threatened or endangered; considered secure given its large range and broad habitat preferences[3](https://plants.usda.gov/DocumentLibrary/plantguide/pdf/pg_ruhi2.pdf) • [4](https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.128304/Rudbeckia_hirta) |
| Symbolic status | Official floral emblem of Maryland since 1918[5](https://2007mdmanual.msa.maryland.gov/msa/mdmanual/01glance/html/symbols/flower.html) |
## Description
Black-eyed Susan grows from a taproot (or a cluster of fibrous roots) and produces one to a few erect, sometimes sparingly branched stems 12 to 40 inches (0.3 to 1.0 m) tall, covered with stiff short hairs that give the species its Latin name *hirta*, meaning hairy.[2](https://research.fs.usda.gov/feis/species-reviews/rudhir) • [3](https://plants.usda.gov/DocumentLibrary/plantguide/pdf/pg_ruhi2.pdf) The lower leaves are alternate and petioled, 2 to 6 inches (5 to 15 cm) long, while the upper leaves are mostly sessile.[2](https://research.fs.usda.gov/feis/species-reviews/rudhir) Each stem typically bears a solitary flower head up to 2.5 inches (6 cm) in diameter, with eight to twenty yellow ray flowers surrounding a flattish, cone-like central disk of dark brown disk flowers.[3](https://plants.usda.gov/DocumentLibrary/plantguide/pdf/pg_ruhi2.pdf) The fruit is a four-sided, elliptical achene about 1.5 mm long with no pappus (the bristle-like appendage found on many other Asteraceae seeds).[2](https://research.fs.usda.gov/feis/species-reviews/rudhir) • [3](https://plants.usda.gov/DocumentLibrary/plantguide/pdf/pg_ruhi2.pdf) The species is mycorrhizal, forming associations with soil fungi.[2](https://research.fs.usda.gov/feis/species-reviews/rudhir)
## Taxonomy and varieties
Four botanical varieties are accepted, each associated with a different geographic region of North America.[1](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn%3Alsid%3Aipni.org%3Anames%3A223740-2) Rudbeckia hirta var. *hirta* occurs from Pennsylvania to Georgia and sparingly north to Maine and west to Illinois; var. *angustifolia* occurs in Texas and the southeastern United States to North Carolina; var. *floridana* is found in central Florida; and var. *pulcherrima* is the most widespread, especially in disturbed habitats.[2](https://research.fs.usda.gov/feis/species-reviews/rudhir) • [3](https://plants.usda.gov/DocumentLibrary/plantguide/pdf/pg_ruhi2.pdf) The University of Maryland Extension notes that the common black-eyed Susan found across Maryland is var. *pulcherrima*, while var. *hirta* extends from western Maryland into the prairie states, mostly in undisturbed soils.[6](https://www.extension.umd.edu/resource/black-eyed-susan) Historical synonyms include *R. serotina*, *R. monticola*, and *R. brittonii*, and confusion among garden writers partly stems from these older classifications.[6](https://www.extension.umd.edu/resource/black-eyed-susan)
## Distribution and habitat
The species is found throughout most of North America, particularly east of the [Rocky Mountains](https://www.edgepedia.org/rocky-mountains), and has been sporadically introduced into the [Pacific Northwest](https://www.edgepedia.org/pacific-northwest).[2](https://research.fs.usda.gov/feis/species-reviews/rudhir) It grows in fields, pastures, prairies, open woodlands, along roadsides and railroad tracks, and in abandoned areas.[3](https://plants.usda.gov/DocumentLibrary/plantguide/pdf/pg_ruhi2.pdf) It is an early successional species adapted to clay, loam, and sandy soils, preferring acidic soils below pH 6.8 and full sun with slightly moist to moderately dry conditions; it is not shade tolerant.[3](https://plants.usda.gov/DocumentLibrary/plantguide/pdf/pg_ruhi2.pdf) • [7](https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/plantmaterials/etpmcpu8052.pdf) Recorded elevations range from 100 to 1,200 m in California to 1,524 to 2,896 m in Colorado.[2](https://research.fs.usda.gov/feis/species-reviews/rudhir) As a wetland indicator, it is classified as facultative upland (FACU) across most US regions, meaning it usually occurs in non-wetlands but may also occur in wetlands.[3](https://plants.usda.gov/DocumentLibrary/plantguide/pdf/pg_ruhi2.pdf)
## Life cycle and reproduction
Black-eyed Susan can flower in its first year but flowers more prolifically in its second; biennial and perennial forms sprout each spring from the root crown, and topgrowth dies back each year.[2](https://research.fs.usda.gov/feis/species-reviews/rudhir) It reproduces sexually by seed, pollinated by bees and flies, and also vegetatively by sprouting from the root crown.[2](https://research.fs.usda.gov/feis/species-reviews/rudhir) In remnant tallgrass prairie in central Illinois, its seeds made up 2.4 percent of germinable seeds in the seedbank, occurring in high-density clumps rather than randomly dispersed.[2](https://research.fs.usda.gov/feis/species-reviews/rudhir)
**Germination is variable.** Wisconsin studies found germination ranges of 0 to 38 percent for wild-collected seed given cold, dry stratification, and a maximum of 46 percent with three months of cold stratification; values fluctuated greatly between collection years, and in some years seeds germinated even without stratification.[2](https://research.fs.usda.gov/feis/species-reviews/rudhir) In garden practice, seed germinates in 5 to 10 days at temperatures between 70 and 75 degrees [Fahrenheit](https://www.edgepedia.org/fahrenheit) when barely covered.[8](https://ask.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/FP512)
## Ecology and fire response
As a pioneer species, black-eyed Susan can dominate early stages of succession and thrives in the open, sunny conditions created by disturbance and fire.[2](https://research.fs.usda.gov/feis/species-reviews/rudhir) It is probably top-killed by fire during the growing season but may survive by sprouting from the root crown, and its numerous small seeds allow it to establish on burned sites.[2](https://research.fs.usda.gov/feis/species-reviews/rudhir) Its response to burning is not uniform: in south-central New York, its average frequency was 29 percent in unburned areas versus 2 percent in burned areas, while in eastern Nebraska, summer and fall burning in years with adequate precipitation increased seedling establishment and cover.[2](https://research.fs.usda.gov/feis/species-reviews/rudhir) On Curtis Prairie in Wisconsin, which has been burned biennially since 1950, the species appeared in small numbers by 1961, apparently aided by the warmer growing season on burned ground.[2](https://research.fs.usda.gov/feis/species-reviews/rudhir)
Its blooms draw many kinds of insect pollinators: among them flies, beetles, moths, small butterflies, bees, wasps, and sawflies; [Rudbeckia](https://www.edgepedia.org/rudbeckia) species serve as a host for the Silvery Checkerspot butterfly, and songbirds, above all goldfinches, feed on the seeds.[6](https://www.extension.umd.edu/resource/black-eyed-susan) Caterpillars of the silvery checkerspot can reduce seed yield: infested plants in an Oklahoma pasture produced 50 percent fewer seeds than uninfested ones.[2](https://research.fs.usda.gov/feis/species-reviews/rudhir)
## Uses
**Restoration and landscaping.** The species is recommended for restoration of disturbed areas and prairies and has been used along highways, on mine tailings, and in prairie reconstructions.[2](https://research.fs.usda.gov/feis/species-reviews/rudhir) On iron mine tailings in west-central Wisconsin with an average pH of 8.5, 6.8 percent of broadcast seeds produced seedlings, and many plants flowered by the second growing season.[2](https://research.fs.usda.gov/feis/species-reviews/rudhir) It is commonly planted as a garden ornamental and used in seed mixes for pollinator gardens.[4](https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.128304/Rudbeckia_hirta)
**Cultivars.** Plant breeders have developed numerous cultivars, often called gloriosa daisies, with larger and more richly colored petals than the species.[9](https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/prairie-sun-black-eyed-susan-rudbeckia-hirta/) 'Prairie Sun', bred in Germany, has a light green eye instead of the typical dark brown disk and was a 2003 All-America Selections winner.[9](https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/prairie-sun-black-eyed-susan-rudbeckia-hirta/) 'Indian Summer' is a sturdy selection with large yellow flowers that develop 10 to 14 weeks after sowing and does not require staking.[8](https://ask.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/FP512) In the UK, cultivars of *R. hirta* may survive some winters in mild areas but in most gardens struggle to get through the winter.[10](https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/rudbeckia/growing-guide)
**Traditional uses.** The Forest Potawatomis treated colds with a tea prepared from the roots, and the leaves have been used to make a tea said to have diuretic properties.[2](https://research.fs.usda.gov/feis/species-reviews/rudhir)
## Pests, diseases, and sensitivity
Rudbeckias are infrequently subject to powdery mildew, bacterial and fungal leaf spots, stem rots, downy mildew, and fungal rusts, encouraged by excess moisture on the leaves.[11](https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/rudbeckia/) Septoria leaf spot can disfigure plants significantly in wet, hot, humid weather, and the widely grown cultivar 'Goldsturm' (*R. fulgida*) is quite susceptible, whereas *R. hirta* is less prone to leaf spot disease.[12](https://ask.extension.org/kb/faq.php?id=936715) • [13](https://www.purdue.edu/hla/sites/cea/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2016/12/ID-416-W.pdf) Documented insect pests include aphids, the goldenglow sawfly, and the four-lined plant bug.[8](https://ask.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/FP512)
The species is also a useful bioindicator. More than 50 percent of black-eyed Susan plants showed foliage injury at ambient ozone levels in the [Great Smoky Mountains](https://www.edgepedia.org/great-smoky-mountains) in 1989, and injury exceeded 90 percent at twice-ambient exposure.[2](https://research.fs.usda.gov/feis/species-reviews/rudhir) Seed germination was reduced in proportion to additions of soil cadmium in northwestern Indiana, suggesting the species may indicate soil cadmium contamination.[2](https://research.fs.usda.gov/feis/species-reviews/rudhir)
## References
1. [Rudbeckia hirta L., Plants of the World Online, Kew Science](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn%3Alsid%3Aipni.org%3Anames%3A223740-2)
2. [Walsh, Roberta A. 1994. Rudbeckia hirta, blackeyed Susan. Fire Effects Information System, USDA Forest Service](https://research.fs.usda.gov/feis/species-reviews/rudhir)
3. [Black eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) Plant Guide, USDA NRCS](https://plants.usda.gov/DocumentLibrary/plantguide/pdf/pg_ruhi2.pdf)
4. [Rudbeckia hirta, NatureServe Explorer](https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.128304/Rudbeckia_hirta)
5. [Black-Eyed Susan, Maryland State Flower, Maryland State Archives](https://2007mdmanual.msa.maryland.gov/msa/mdmanual/01glance/html/symbols/flower.html)
6. [Black-Eyed Susan, University of Maryland Extension](https://www.extension.umd.edu/resource/black-eyed-susan)
7. [Blackeyed Susan, USDA NRCS East Texas Plant Materials Center](https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/plantmaterials/etpmcpu8052.pdf)
8. [FPS512/FP512: Rudbeckia hirta Blackeyed Susan, Gloriosa Daisy, UF/IFAS Extension](https://ask.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/FP512)
9. ['Prairie Sun' Black-Eyed Susan, Rudbeckia hirta, Wisconsin Horticulture, UW–Madison Extension](https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/prairie-sun-black-eyed-susan-rudbeckia-hirta/)
10. [How to grow Rudbeckia, RHS Growing Guide](https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/rudbeckia/growing-guide)
11. [Rudbeckia, Home & Garden Information Center, Clemson University](https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/rudbeckia/)
12. [A fungus is attacking my Black Eyed Susans, Ask Extension, University of Maryland HGIC](https://ask.extension.org/kb/faq.php?id=936715)
13. [Purdue Extension ID-416-W, disease resistance table](https://www.purdue.edu/hla/sites/cea/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2016/12/ID-416-W.pdf)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Life and health › Plants and algae › Seed plants › Other flowering plants › Asterids › Apiaceae: carrot and parsley family*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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