When To Plant Black Eyed Susan

March 27, 2024

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Table of Contents

Choose the right type of black-eyed Susans for your garden and space.
Prepare in-ground garden soil by adding Miracle-Gro® Garden Soil for Flowers.
Plant black-eyed Susans in full sun in spring or early fall.
Water plants thoroughly at the time of planting and as needed throughout the season.
Feed plants once at the beginning of the growing season with Miracle-Gro® Shake ‘n Feed® Rose & Bloom Plant Food.
Deadhead to keep plants tidy and encourage more blooms.
Let plants stand through the winter to provide food for birds.

Looking for a pretty plant that is practically indestructible? You want black-eyed Susans! There’s a reason almost every perennial garden and landscape has these cheerful yellow flowers tucked somewhere in the mix. They’re simply hard to beat when it comes to easy growing and big bloom power. What’s more, black-eyed Susans are a great addition to a pollinator garden. Birds (especially goldfinches), butterflies, and hummingbirds eat the seeds or sip nectar from the plants.

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How to Choose Black-Eyed Susans

Here’s a bit of botany for you: Black-eyed Susans are in the plant genus Rudbeckia, which contains both perennial and annual types. If you’re looking for perennials, you want Rudbeckia fulgida. The annual varieties you see growing along the side of the road are Rudbeckia hirta.

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Why bother with the botany? Well, if you want black-eyed Susans that come back year after year, you’ll want to make sure you’re getting the perennial type, so check the genus name on the plant tag. If you shop the perennial aisle of the garden center, you should be all set. Wildflower packets will usually contain the annual types, but check the list of contents to be sure.

Where to Plant Black-Eyed Susans

Black-eyed Susans grow best in full sun (at least 6 to 8 hours per day). They can tolerate some shade, but you might eventually find them stretching and spreading toward the light. It’s also a good idea to plant them where you won’t mind seeing more of them, as both perennial and annual black-eyed Susans are prolific re-seeders, plus perennial varieties also spread by underground stems.

When deciding where to place flowers in a garden bed, something you always want to consider is how tall they will get. Different varieties of black-eyed Susans mature to different heights. Some max out at 18 inches, while others can be up to 4 or even 6 feet tall. Check the plant tag to see how high yours are expected to get so you’ll know where to put them.