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Rudbeckia 'Black-eyed Susan'
Seed Packet

Rudbeckia 'Black-eyed Susan'

Rudbeckia hirta
Black-eyed Susans and ox-eye daisies are markers of my youth, when I found them in the meadows where lightning bugs claimed summer evenings with their roving flashing lanterns. Birds, butterflies, and bees benefit from their ample stores of pollen, nectar, and seeds. They are also a traditional medicine, concoctions of the roots used by Indigenous peoples for earache, worms, and other maladies. Easy to grow and a generous self-sower where happy.
SKU #S1866
$3.25
Details
Approximate Seeds Per Packet
892
Lifecycle
Biennial
Perennial Hardiness Zone
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8,
9,
10
Annual Hardiness
Half Hardy Annual
Mature Size
1.5-2' h x 1-1.5' w
Sun
Full sun to partial shade
Soil
Regular, moist, well-drained
Season
Summer to fall
Color
Golden yellow with chocolate drop centers
Features
Great Cut Flower
Deer Resistant
Heat or Drought Tolerant
Attracts Butterflies
Attracts Bees
SOWING INSTRUCTIONS
Depth:
Cover lightly.
Sprout Time:
7-14 days
Seed To Bloom:
12-16 weeks
Starting Indoors:
A stratification period is beneficial but not required for germination. Sow in a container, cover with a plastic bag and refrigerate, or mix seed with damp clean sand or vermiculite, bag, and refrigerate at 35-40F. Bring out of chill after 30 days and keep at 65-75F.
Starting Outdoors:
Direct sow in fall or earliest spring, or wintersow into pots in the shade, covered with a thin layer of clean sand and a wire screen to keep out mice and voles. Check for water, keeping evenly moist.
WHEN TO SET OUTSIDE
After last frost.
PLACEMENT & CULTIVATION
The long-loved black-eyed-susan is a common field flower adaptable to dry or wet meadows. Blooming during summer, it becomes a cheerful companion to ox-eyed daisies in wildflower gardens. A pollinator plant of high value, it nurtures butterflies and bees, and is host to several moth species and the silver checkerspot butterfly. Depending on treatment, this wildflower is a biennial to short-lived perennial or self-sowing annual.
Final Spacing:
1'
Water Requirements:
Medium Water Use
Watering Details:
1" a week. Tolerates some drought once established, but blooms better with regular water.
Soil pH:
Prefers acidic
Fertilizer:
Prior to planting, mix in about 2" of compost or organic granular fertilizer.
Diseases & Pests:
Aphids and slugs may be a minor problem. Prevent foliar diseases by spacing properly and planting in locations with good air circulation.
When to Cut for Bouquets:
Harvest when flowers are fully open.
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