North Carolina Botanical Garden

Plant Index

Scientific Name:
Common Name:
Genus:
Family:

Rudbeckia hirta

Rudbeckia hirta L.

black-eyed susan, brown-eyed susan

Image ID: 18656
Image by: Ware, Richard & Teresa
Image Collection: NCBG Digital Library

PLANT INDEX

ID_PLANT: RUHI2
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Rudbeckia hirta
Include in WOTAS: 1
Publish to Web: 1
Last Modified: 2019-03-15

GENUS INDEX

GENUS CODE: RUDBE
GENUS SCIENTIFIC: Rudbeckia
GENUS AUTHORITY: L.
GENUS COMMON: Coneflower
GENUS SUMMARY: A genus of about 15 species, herbs, of North America.
GENUS IDENTIFICATION: Identification notes: This treatment needs considerable additional work in the herbarium, and will likely be substantially modified.
GENUS REFERENCES: Urbatsch & Cox in FNA (2006c); Perdue (1957)=Z. Key adapted in part from SE and FNA.

FAMILY INDEX

FAMILY CODE: ASTERA
FAMILY SCIENTIFIC: Asteraceae
FAMILY AUTHORITY: Dumortier 1822 or COMPOSITAE Giseke 1792
FAMILY COMMON: Aster Family
FAMILY SUMMARY: A family of about 1500-1700 genera and 20,000-25,000 species, shrubs, herbs, trees, and vines, cosmopolitan in distribution.
FAMILY REFERENCE: Cronquist (1980)=SE throughout family treatment.

NCBG DESCRIPTIVES

INTRO: Erect to leaning biennial/short-lived perennial of dry woodlands, pastures and roadsides.
STEMS: Stems simple or with a few branches from near the base; covered with stiff, white hairs.
LEAVES: Leaves basal and alternate on stem, petiolate, oval or lance-shaped, 3-12 in. long, sometimes toothed, grayish-green and rough-hairy; stem leaves sessile, gradually reduced in size upward, narrowly lance-shaped.
INFLORESCENCE:
FLOWERS: Composite flowers (heads) solitary at ends of stem and branches, 1 1/2-4 1/2 in. wide, consisting of 8-16 dark yellow ray florets (3/4-2 in. long) encircling a domed center disk of tiny brownish-purple tubular florets.
FRUITS:
COMMENTS:
HEIGHT: 1-2 1/2 ft.

DURATION: Annual, Biennial, Perennial
HABIT: Herb

LEAF ARRANGEMENT: Alternate, Basal
LEAF COMPLEXITY: Simple
LEAF RETENTION:

FLORAL CHARACTERISTICS
SYMMETRY: Mixed
BLOOM TIME: May-Jul

Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
			x	x	x	x	x	x	x

BLOOM COLOR: Yellow

White	Red	Pink	Orange	Yellow	Green	Blue	Lavender	Purple	Violet	Brown	Not Applicable
				x

FRUITING PERIOD:

DISTRIBUTION
HABITAT TYPE: Disturbed, Dry forests, Woods margins
NATIVE RANGE: eastern United States

HORTICULTURAL
Plant Sale Text: This is the earliest of the native Black-eyed-Susan species to bloom. Its basal rosettes of fuzzy leaves are crowned by bright yellow flowers in early summer. Native Americans considered this plant an herb and used it for treating sores. The root of this native species can be used to produce a brown dye. Black-eyed-Susans are great for perennial borders, meadow gardens, or containers. If you wish, you can let them reseed so that you have more plants next year. Black-eyed-Susans make a good cut flower.

Bloom Table Text: This is the earliest of the native Black-eyed-Susan species to bloom. Its basal rosettes of fuzzy leaves are crowned by bright yellow flowers in early summer. Native Americans considered this plant an herb and used it for treating sores. The root of this native species can be used to produce a brown dye. Black-eyed-Susans are great for perennial borders, meadow gardens, or containers. If you wish, you can let them reseed so that you have more plants next year. Black-eyed-Susans make a good cut flower.

NCBG Location: Children's Wonder Garden, Education Center Landscape

Cultural Notes:

SOIL MOISTURE: Dry, Average
LIGHT EXPOSURE: Sun, Part Shade
MINIMUM HARDINESS ZONE: 3
MAXIMUM HARDINESS ZONE: 9
GERMINATION CODE:
WILDLIFE VALUE: Bee Friendly, Butterfly Friendly
DEER RESISTANCE:

GRIM ACCESSIONS

acc_id	acc_num	acc_dt	coll_id	Action
293	2011-0156	2011-06-30	298	View
2731	1987-0214			View
3534	1991-0189			View
6293	1995-1425			View
6727	1996-0383			View
9378	2021-0041	2021-04-05	0	View

GRIM COLLECTIONS

Coll_id	Project	Collection date	Collector	Action
298	HORT	2010-10-01	Walker	View
1415	HORT	2006-07-25	Bryan	View
1719	HORT	2005-01-01	Bryan	View

GRIM PLANTINGS

plt_num	acc_id	loc_num	pers_num	inst_dt	Action
684	293	48	NCBG staff	2011-06-28	View
685	293	38	Liloia	2011-05-16	View
686	293	43	Liloia	2011-05-16	View
687	293	30	Liloia	2011-05-16	View
688	293	42	Mixon	2012-04-25	View
689	293	34	NCBG staff	2012-04-25	View
4552	2731	8	NCBG staff	1978-10-27	View
5797	3534	51	NCBG staff	1990-08-07	View
8948	6293	2	NCBG staff	0000-00-00	View
9495	6727	142	NCBG staff	1967-12-31	View
9496	6727	27	NCBG staff	1986-12-31	View
9497	6727	27	NCBG staff	1986-12-31	View
9498	6727	81	NCBG staff	1986-12-31	View
9499	6727	143	NCBG staff	1986-12-31	View
9500	6727	8	NCBG staff	1996-03-28	View
12614	9378	228	Wait	2020-06-26	View
12615	9378	229	Wait	2020-06-26	View
12616	9378	232	Wait	2020-06-26	View
12617	9378	233	Wait	2020-06-26	View

USDA PLANTS DATABASE

USDA Symbol: RUHI2
USDA Common Name: Blackeyed Susan
Native Status: L48 (N), AK (I), CAN (N)
Distribution: USA (AK, AL, AR, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY), CAN (AB, BC, MB, NB, NF, NS, ON, PE, QC, SK)
Duration: Annual, Biennial, Perennial
Growth Habit: Forb/herb

NATIONAL WETLAND INDICATOR STATUS

Region:	AGCP	AK	AW	CB	EMP	GP	HI	MW	NCNE	WMVE
Status:	FACU		FACU		FACU	FACU		FACU	FACU	FACU

This information is derived from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 2016 National Wetland Plant List, Version 3.3 (Lichvar, R.W., D.L. Banks, W.N. Kirchner, and N.C. Melvin. 2016. The National Wetland Plant List: 2016 wetland ratings. Phytoneuron 2016-30: 1-17. Published 28 April 2016. ISSN 2153 733X). Regions: AGCP-Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain, AK-Alaska, AW-Arid West, CB-Caribbean, EMP-Eastern Mountains and Piedmont, GP-Great Plains, HI-Hawaii, MW-Midwest, NCNE-Northcentral and Northeast, WMCV-Western Mountains, Valleys & Coast

WEAKLEY FLORA

SCIENTIFIC NAME:
COMMON NAME:
SYNONYMY:
PHENOLOGY:
HABITAT:
COMMENTS:
RANGE MAP:

Key to Map Symbols

ABOUT FAMILY (Weakley Flora)
Asteraceae Dumortier 1822 or COMPOSITAE Giseke 1792 (Aster Family)
SUMMARY: A family of about 1500-1700 genera and 20,000-25,000 species, shrubs, herbs, trees, and vines, cosmopolitan in distribution.
REFERENCE: Cronquist (1980)=SE throughout family treatment.

ABOUT GENUS (Weakley Flora)
Rudbeckia L. (Coneflower)
SUMMARY: A genus of about 15 species, herbs, of North America.
REFERENCE: Urbatsch & Cox in FNA (2006c); Perdue (1957)=Z. Key adapted in part from SE and FNA.

HERBARIUM RESOURCES

SERNEC: Find Rudbeckia hirta in Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)
UNC SERNEC: Find Rudbeckia hirta in University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Herbarium - Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)

WEB RESOURCES

USDA: Find Rudbeckia hirta in USDA Plants
NPIN: Find Rudbeckia hirta in NPIN Database
FNA: Find Rudbeckia hirta in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Rudbeckia hirta

IMAGE USE RECORDS

ID IMAGE: 18656 - Primary Image FloraQuest Plant Detail Page (Landscape Preferred)
ID IMAGE1: 18656 - Primary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE2: 0 - Secondary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE3: 18656 - Primary Image Plant Sale Sign (Landscape Only)
ID IMAGE4: 0 - Primary Image New Plant Sale Label (Portrait Only)