Black-eyed Susan, the state flower of Maryland

How to recognize it

The black-eyed Susan is an upright wildflower, usually one to three feet tall, with stiff, rough, hairy stems. Each flower head is about two to three inches across, with 8 to 20 golden-yellow petals, called rays, surrounding a dark brown, cone-shaped center, the “black eye.” Its leaves are rough and hairy too, with smooth or slightly toothed edges.

It may live as an annual, a biennial or a short-lived perennial, and it belongs to the aster, or sunflower, family. Its scientific name, Rudbeckia hirta, honors the Swedish botanist Olof Rudbeck and his son, and hirta means “rough-hairy.”

Where it grows

The black-eyed Susan is native to Maryland and grows across most of the United States. Two varieties occur in the state. One grows statewide, mostly on disturbed ground such as roadsides and old fields; the other ranges from Western Maryland west to the prairie states, often in woods. It loves sun and tolerates poor soil.

Where to see it

From June into October, look in sunny meadows, old fields, pastures and roadsides anywhere in Maryland. It is also one of the most popular plants in native and pollinator gardens, easy to grow from seed and quick to reseed itself.

Good for wildlife

Black-eyed Susans feed many insects. Bees, flies and butterflies visit their flowers for nectar and pollen, the plant is a host for the caterpillars of the silvery checkerspot butterfly, and in fall goldfinches and other birds eat its seeds.

The state flower since 1918

The General Assembly made the black-eyed Susan Maryland’s floral emblem in 1918. The flower has since become closely tied to the Preakness Stakes, the second race of horse racing’s Triple Crown, run each May. Because real black-eyed Susans do not bloom until summer, the blanket of flowers draped over the Preakness winner is traditionally made of other flowers dressed up to look like them.