Carolina Garden: Black-eyed Susan

If you’re looking for some summer color for a border area, you may want to consider the Black-eyed Susan (rudbeckia hirta). While this blooming beauty can sometimes turn gangly, in the right location it can put on a spectacular show. Early blooming plants can fade in the summer heat, but as the days shorten, a second flourish comes on lasting well into November. In our Carolina climate this annual will sometimes behave as a biennial or tender perennial. It is not uncommon for seedlings to sprout in fall but then go nearly dormant waiting for the warmth of spring. The early sprouts are easy to identify by their fuzzy leaves. If you find them growing where they are unwanted, the young sprouts are easy to transplant. The younger the plant, the easier they are to move. Rudbeckia also makes for a great cut flowers. They have a vase life of more than a week, but be aware their pollen will stain fabric. Rudbeckia is a top pick for a Carolina garden.