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No. 3$4.50 Black-eyed Susan
Illustration of the No. 3 Black-eyed Susan seed packet: a kraft envelope with the Missouri Native Series stamp label and a SOW DEC–FEB postmark on the front, and the growing directions and label details on the back.
The packet

No. 3 in the Missouri Native Series

Black-eyed Susan

Rudbeckia hirta

Missouri Native Series No. 3. The quick starter: golden flowers June–September, often the first summer. Reseeds to carry on for years.

$4.50packet

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  • Missouri native seed, packed for 2027
  • Postmarked to sow December to February, outdoors (winter sowing)
  • Grow Guarantee: if it doesn't come up after you follow the guide, we'll send a replacement

Black-eyed Susan is the quick starter of the series. It’s a short-lived plant that often blooms its first summer from an early sowing, and it reseeds itself, so a patch carries on for years while slower perennials settle in.

You’ll find it wild in prairies, glades and old fields all over Missouri. Butterflies and bees come for the nectar, checkerspot butterflies raise their caterpillars on the leaves, and birds eat the seed in fall. Its golden flowers run from June into September and make good cut flowers.

The seed is tiny, so it goes on the surface of the soil, not under it. Each packet is hand-filled in St. Charles County, Missouri.

How to grow

  1. Pick the spot. Full sun, in any soil that isn’t wet.
  2. Sow in winter (best). Between December and February, sprinkle the seed on bare, weed-free soil or in a winter-sowing jug and press it in. Don’t cover it with more than a dusting of soil. See our winter sowing guide.
  3. Or sow in early spring. Chill the seed in damp sand in the fridge for 30 days, then sow on the surface. With steady moisture in warm soil, it should come up in one to two weeks. Here’s the fridge method.
  4. Keep it moist until it’s up. Then it’s on its own; it takes dry spells in stride.
  5. Let some flowers go to seed. That’s how a patch keeps going after the first plants fade. Deadhead the rest for more blooms.

Good neighbors

Species from the series that grow well alongside Black-eyed Susan:

Questions

Will it bloom the first year?

Often. NC State Extension says black-eyed Susan blooms the first year when sown in early spring.

Is it a perennial?

It’s short-lived: an annual, biennial or short-lived perennial depending on conditions. It reseeds freely, so a patch usually carries on for years.

Why sow it on the surface?

The seed is tiny, and very small seeds should be pressed onto the soil surface rather than buried. A light dusting of soil is plenty.

Is it safe for livestock?

The Missouri Department of Conservation notes that some Rudbeckia species have been implicated in livestock poisoning, though livestock usually avoid eating them. If you keep grazing animals, plant it outside their pasture.

Sources for these facts