Sun Exposure: Sun, Part Sun
Soil Moisture: Medium-Wet, Medium, Medium-Dry, Dry
Soil Type: Sand, Loam, Loamy-Clay
Height: 2 - 2.5 feet
Spread: 1 - 2 feet
Blooms: June, July, August, September, October
Root: Fibrous
Habitat: Prairies, Woodland borders, Savannas, Limestone Glades
Landscape uses: Pollinator gardens, Meadow plantings, Naturalization
Complimentary Plants: Butterfly Milkweed, Wild Bergamot, Hoary Vervain, Purple Coneflower
Wildlife Value: The bees collect pollen or suck nectar, and include Little Carpenter bees, Leaf-Cutting bees, Green Metallic and other Halictine bees, Andrenid bees. Host Plant: Silvery Checkerspot Butterfly. Songbirds eat the seeds
Seed Origin: Wasaga Beach, Ontario
Germination Code: C(30)
Photo credits: #3/4 by Sundaura Alford-Purvis
Rudbeckia hirta - Black eyed Susan
Black-Eyed Susan is a staple of any prairie restoration or pollinator garden. It is considered a biennial, but some usually flower in the first year, producing an abundance of pollen that attracts many bee species and butterflies. This Rudbekia species will not do well with densely planted gardens or heavy mulch, as it a short lived perrenial that reseeds on bare ground in order to persist in the garden. Rudbeckia hirta is one of the most long lasting of the native wildflowers, blooming from June to October in sucessions.