Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
Sunny gold daisies for weeks in early summer on the leanest, driest soil you can offer.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
- Home
- Plant guide
- Black-Eyed Susan
Golden yellow
Perennial wildflower
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
A cheerful, unkillable starter native that blooms its first year and seeds itself politely around.
the Northeastthe Mid-Atlanticthe Southeastthe Midwestthe Great Plainsthe South-Central region
Growing Black-Eyed Susan
The easiest native to succeed with — full sun and almost any soil. Short-lived per plant but reseeds, so a patch persists for decades. It’s deer-resistant, drought-tolerant, easy to grow, showy, and long-blooming.
Where it grows
Black-Eyed Susan is native to the Northeast. In the wild you’ll find it across Alabama · Arkansas · Colorado · Connecticut · Delaware · Florida · Georgia · Illinois · Indiana · Iowa and 32 more states. Always confirm it suits your specific county with your state native plant society before planting.
Regional Garden shows Black-Eyed Susan on 42 state pages.
Good for
Sourcing
Where to buy Black-Eyed Susan
Seeds & live plants on Amazon
Seed packets, plugs, and starter plants for many of these species ship to your door.
Browse on AmazonSome links here are affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. The surest source of locally-adapted stock is a native-plant nursery or a native plant society sale in your area.
Plant it with
Companions & kin.
Natives that share Black-Eyed Susan’s range and conditions.
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
The garden workhorse — months of nectar for bees and butterflies, then seed heads goldfinches strip all winter.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
American Elderberry
Sambucus canadensis
Big lacy flower heads in summer give way to purple-black berries for both birds and your kitchen.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 6–12 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Aromatic Aster
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
A drought-proof, mounding aster that closes the pollinator season with sheets of blue.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Nov