Rough Draft 1.0 10/22/2020
Intro
These remind me of a sunflower bush, but with a little more sass. These are well known as a black-eyed susan, however some gardeners choose to call them brown eyed susans When the centers are dark brown instead of black. These are found in the Eastern, Central, and Western parts of North America. Also native in China too.
Planting
- Plant black-eyed Susans when the soil temperature has reached 70°F for best seed germination. In many parts of North America, the planting period is March to May. The flower will flower June to September. Germination takes 7 to 30 days.
- Plant seeds in moist, well-drained soil.
- These hearty flowers really enjoy the Sun. They prefer full sun, though they’ll grow in partial sun.
- Sow by seed in loosely covered soil.
- It’s best if soil is fertile (not poor) though they can tolerate tough conditions.
- Black-eyed Susans generally grow between 1 and 3 feet tall (though they can grow taller) and can spread between 12 to 18 inches, so plant seeds closer to prevent lots of spreading or plant further apart to make a nice border.
Plant Care
Check your plants regularly to see if they need watering. Make sure they don’t dry out.
- Divide perennial types every 3 to 4 years to ensure healthy plants and to prevent excessive spreading. Being a Perennial they will return year after year.
- Be sure to remove faded/dead flowers to prolong blooming.
- You can cut back black-eyed Susans after they flower and a second, smaller bloom may occur in late fall.
- After the first season, black-eyed Susans can reseed themselves!
Tips
These plants bloom from June to October. Note that they can be territorial in that they tend to squash out other flowers growing near them. Prepare for the black eyed susans to spread but they are fine if you want to cut them back a little or a lot because of their self propagating traits.
Black-eyed susans are good for cut flowers placed in a vase Planting these flowers also work well for a colorful border or can be uniquely placed in containers. Some gardeners classify these blooming plants as wildflowers but their golden lovely beauty is enjoyed by butterflies, bees and folks alike.
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