Black-eyed Susan is a popular North American flower known for its bright yellow pedals and a dark, dome-shaped center from which its name is derived. The official name for black-eyed Susan is Rudbeckia hirta (though other flowers in the rudbeckia family are sometimes colloquially referred to as black-eyed Susan)
In addition to being the state flower of Maryland, black-eyed Susan served as the inspiration for the University of Southern Mississippi’s colors.
Since black-eyed Susan is native across all 48 connected US states, it’s a great choice to consider for your CRP mix, no matter where you live.
Planting Black-Eyed Susan for CRP
Black-eyed Susan is typically a biennial (though certain types can be annual or perennial). Your first year of planting, it may start to break ground, but don’t expect to see golden flowers until the second year. It’s known to bloom between June and September. Once it has bloomed, you can expect it to stay until freezing temperatures come.
When fully grown, black-eyed Susan can reach heights over 3 feet tall, with wide, shallow flowers. This makes it perfect for pollinators of all types, attracting butterflies, bees, and more with its color petals. Look closely, and you’ll see that the yellow darkens as it reaches the center, acting as a guide to visiting pollinators.
Black-eyed Susan is self-seeding, so once established, it should take care of itself. As with any CRP seed mix, make sure to balance its yellow color with at least two other flowering colors. For more on what makes a good pollinator mix, be sure to check out our previous post here.
All-in-all, black-eyed Susan is an effective, affordable inclusion to almost any pollinator mix. If you’re ready to purchase CRP pollinator seed, All Native Seed has you covered. You’ll find a group selection of seed options from our own in-house seed mixesv to mixes developed by NRCS.
If you have any questions, or you need help with your selection, don’t hesitate to ask. Our staff is made up of CRP experts with over 16 years of establishment experience.