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Black Eyed Susan

11 years ago

I am so confused. I thought my black eyed susan was a perennial. I have been reading it is a biennial or short-lived perennial. ? ? My black eyed susans are beautiful and full and the clumps seem to get larger each year. However I do have some of the large green leaves with no blooms. Perhaps these are new plants that will bloom next years. Anyway I am so confused. So my question is is it a perennial or biennia? I read that it can be divided. So if a biennial why would you divide it? And why would I cut it back in winter if its going die after blooming?

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Comments (5)

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
11 years ago
Black-eyed Susan is a common name applied to several species of Rudbeckia (among other plants). It is most often used with Rudbeckia fulgida, which is fully perennial. Confusingly, it is also sometimes applied to Rudbeckia hirta, which is most often biennial or a very short-lived perennial.

Once again a situation where common names confuse the heck out of folks!! :-)
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
11 years ago
the short answer to what she said was ...

we need to ID the plant you are talking about ...

picture???

ken
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"Rudbeckia hirta", Black Eyed Susan, has always done best for me in a less fertile soil than most plants want. What I have seen over the years is that when grown is soils well amended with organic matter, that may retain too much soil moisture and have too high nutrients, many fungal diseases appear while those planted in much less fertile soils will not have those types of problems. This was once a "wild flower" or a "weed" that has been hybridized but still retains many of the "wild flower" characterisitcs of growing best in less fertiles soils.
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It's some kind of leaf disease or fungus, I can't remember the exact name. They still bloom, but looks ugly up close. I've started to yank them from my gardens due to the same thing. I do a full cleanup in the fall of all BES, but it hasn't helped curb the disease...so out they go. Such a shame, too, since they offer such a nice end of summer color.
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Black eyed susan don't live long in my Maryland zone 7a garden. I usually get a few years, but I don't think I've ever had one survive past say 5 years. Don't know why. They're very easy to grow from seed, so if I want one, I just grow one from seed in the spring. Before I get blasted for having a brown thumb, I plant them among similar perennials like purple coneflower and the other perennials in the exact same environment live a lot longer. I have rabbits in my yard and I don't think they've ever eaten one. They seem to like my lawn weeds a lot more.
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prairiemoon2 z6b MA
11 years ago
That's odd, I've never heard Rudbeckia referred to as 'Black Eyed Susan' but rather an annual vine is known to me as 'Black Eyed Susan.

Here is a link that might be useful: Thunbergia
joe_thurston
11 years ago
I just planted some Rudbeckia fulgida 'Goldstrum' which were sold to me as a perennial, with a common name of Black Eyed Susan's. I planted them where they get lots of afternoon sum. I enhanced the soil with one part peat moss to two parts soil, with some compost thrown in. Now they are wilting in the late afternoon, but perky in the AM. Wondering if this is normal? I hate to water them every day, for fear of over watering.
vivian_2010 (IL Zone 5a)
11 years ago
Rudbeckia fulgida 'Goldstrum' is a perennial. It is one of the toughest perennials in my experience, and one of my favorites summer/late summer long bloomers. And they do self seed so you may see a few more plants next year, and so on. So give it some space if you want to have more of them. And they add so much color and life to the late summer garden.They do like afternoon sun!

If they are perky in the AM, you do not need to water them. For the first 4-6 weeks after planting, give it a good watering ~ once or twice/week (depending upon temp, rain, etc). If they do not perk up if the AM, water them. After first year, you typically do not need water any more. This year during the long, hot and dry late June and July, I watered them a couple times, that is all I did for the entire summer.
Best of luck!
Vivian from Northwest Subs of Chicago

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