The Pollinator Program at the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation recognizes this species as being an important pollinator plant as it “attracts a large number of native bees.” Orangey-yellow petals and a brown/black center earn it the name Black eyed Susan, a namesake it shares with the closely related Rudbeckia hirta. Garden guides and common experience tells us that it grows best in full sun, well drained soils. Native plant field books indicate it can be found growing “chiefly in woods or moist places.” Knowing where and how a plant grows in the wild gives us other ideas of where we can use this plant in our planted landscapes. (I would have never considered trying to grow this plant in woods or moist places based on where I see it growing in cultivation.) Even though we see this plant growing all over the place, it is because it has naturalized and not necessarily native, at least around here (in Maine). It’s native range is PA to MI south to TX and FL. We include it in our selections because of its pollinator value and it’s just plain pretty.
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