Known as coneflowers and black-eyed-susans, the genus Rudbeckia is native to both damp woodlands and dry prairies of North America. It belongs to the aster family, Asteraceae, that also includes daisy, yarrow and lettuce. Most species are herbaceous perennials but some may be annuals or biennials. They are clump-forming, grow 20″ to 10′ tall, and have erect stems carrying coarse, deeply lobed hairy leaves that are 2-10″ long. Terminal flowerheads are daisy-like with drooping yellow or orange ray florets surrounding a cone shaped center of greenish or brown to black disc florets. Rudbeckias are easy to grow and do well in sun or light shade in moderately fertile to average, well-drained soil, and are drought and heat resistant once established. Plants are suitable for the border, and in a meadow or prairie garden. The flowers are good in the vase. The genus name Rudbeckia honors the Swedish botanist Olof Rudbeck the Younger and his father, Olof Rudbeck the Elder.
Photo Credit: Wikipedia
The environmental conditions in the Southeast have resulted in at least nine native species of coneflower there although they may be native to other areas in too. The coneflowers described here are native to at least one of the states in the Southeast.
Eared Coneflower (Rudbeckia auriculata)
Stems up to 10′ tall are branched at the top and carry oval or lance-shaped leaves up to 2′ long. The flowerheads are carried in open clusters of 10 or more and are 2-3″ across. Each flowerhead consists of 8-14 yellow ray florets surrounding a center of 150-200 brown-purple disc florets. Plants tend to lean if grown in rich soil and may need staking. This species is rare and localized.
Click here for image.
Alternate Name/s: Alabama coneflower, swamp black-eyed-susan
Native Range: Alabama, Georgia, and Florida,
Habitat: Acid bogs
Type: Perennial
Height: 8-10′
Bloom Time: Late summer into fall
Bloom Color: Yellow
Light: Full to part sun
Soil: Moist to wet
USDA Hardiness Zones: 6-8
Orange Coneflower (Rudbeckia fulgida)
Plants form a basal rosette of leaves that are up to 5″ long, ovate to lanceolate, and evergreen in warm climates. The flowerheads are up to 2.5″ across and have yellow ray florets surrounding a center of brownish purple disc florets. Plants are tolerant of heat, humidity and drought when established and their seeds attract songbirds. Flowers are good in the vase.
Alternate Name/s: Black-eyed susan
Native Range: Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee as well as parts of the Southwest, Midwest, Mid-Atlantic and New England.
Habitat: Meadows, pastures, thickets, glades, and open woods
Type: Perennial
Height: 2-3′
Bloom Time: Early summer to fall
Bloom Color: Orange to yellow, purple black
Light: Full sun; tolerates partial shade
Soil: Average, medium moist, well-drained
USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-9
Photo Credit: Jerzy Opioła, Wikipedia
Grass-leaved Coneflower (Rudbeckia gramnifolia)
With small grass-like leaves, this unusual coneflower has solitary flowerheads that are terminal and about 1″ across. Each flowerhead has 8-16 orangish red to maroon, drooping ray florets surrounding a center of 50-300+ disc florets that are maroon to brown-purple.
Alternate Name/s: Narrowleaf coneflower
Native Range: Panhandle of Florida
Habitat: Wet pine savannas and flatwoods near and in the Apalachicola National Forest; bogs, often in shallow water
Type: Annual to short lived perennial
Height: 1-2′
Bloom Time: Spring to fall
Bloom Color: Brick red
Light: Full sun
Soil: Wet, sandy
USDA Hardiness Zones: 8-9
Photo Credit: USDA
Rough Coneflower (Rudbeckia grandiflora)
Hairy stems grow from a woody base and carry hairy leaves 2.5-6″ long. Terminal flowerheads appear singly and are 3-4″ across. They are composed of 8-12 yellow drooping rays florets around a brownish-purple center up to 1.25″ tall. The flowers attract butterflies and other pollinators and are good in the vase. The seeds attract birds. Plants are tolerant of heat, humidity, and drought.
Alternate Name/s: Tall coneflower, large flower coneflower
Native Range: Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia and Kentucky as well as places in the Southwest and Midwest
Habitat: Dry open woods, prairies
Type: Perennial
Height: 2.5-5′
Bloom Time: Late summer into fall
Bloom Color: Yellow, brownish purple
Light: Full sun
Soil: Average, medium moist, well-drained
USDA Hardiness Zones: 5-8
Photo Credit: Mason Brock, Wikipedia
Sunfacing Coneflower (Rudbeckia heliopsidis)
Oval leaves are 2.4-8″ long and have rounded bases and pointed tips. Four to eight flowerheads are carried in loose clusters and are 3″ across. Each flowerhead consists of 6-12 yellow ray florets surrounding a center of 100-200+ yellowish green to purple-brown disc florets. Just like sunflowers, the flowerheads follow the path of the sun during the day. Rare species.
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Alternate Name/s: Pineywoods coneflower, Little River Black-eyed Susan
Native Range: Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and possibly, Mississippi
Habitat: Wetlands, riparian areas, seeps, limestone or sandstone glades, woodlands and grasslands
Type: Perennial
Height: 2-4′
Bloom Time: Summer to fall
Bloom Color: Yellow
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Soil: Evenly moist, well-drained soils; drought and heat resistant once established
USDA Hardiness Zones: 7-8
Black-Eyed-Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)
Stiff branched stems arise from a basal rosette of lance-shaped, hairy leaves up to 7″ long. Flowerheads up to 3″ across have bright yellow to orange-yellow ray florets around a doomed, dark chocolate-brown center of disc florets. The flower heads are attractive to butterflies and other pollinators and the seeds are attractive to birds. The flowering stems are good in the vase.
Alternate Name/s: Brown-eyed susan, yellow ox-eye daisy, brown betty, golden Jerusalem, English bull’s eye, gloriosa daisy
Native Range: Native Range: Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee as well as parts of the Southwest, Rocky Mountain area, Midwest, Mid-Atlantic and New England.
Habitat: Open areas, prairie, meadows, pastures, plains, savannas, woodlands’ edge
Type: Annual (can be biennial or short-lived perennial depending on the growing conditions)
Height: 24-36″
Bloom Time: Early summer to fall
Bloom Color: Yellow to orange-yellow with dark chocolate brown
Light: Full sun
Soil: Average, medium moist, well-drained
USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-7
Photo Credit: Pandries, Wikipedia
Cutleaf Coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata)
The light green lower leaves are 15-50″ long and may be deeply divided and lobed while upper leaves are 3 to 15 .5″ long and may be lobed. The daisy-like flowerheads are 3-4″ wide and have reflexed yellow ray florets surrounding a dome-like center of green disc florets that turn brown with maturity. The flowers are attractive to butterflies and other pollinators and the seeds are attractive to birds. Plants tend to spread rapidly and are best used in large landscapes.
Alternate Name/s: Green-headed coneflower, greenhead coneflower, wild goldenglow, sochan, thimbleweed
Native Range: Native Range: Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee as well as parts of the Southwest, Rocky Mountain area, Midwest, Mid-Atlantic and New England.
Habitat: Wet areas in flood plains, along stream banks, and in moist woodlands
Type: Perennial
Height: 2-10′ in the wild, 3-4 in cultivation
Bloom Time: Mid summer to mid fall
Bloom Color: Yellow with green center
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Soil: Average, medium moist, well-drained
USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-9
Photo Credit: Wikipedia
Great Coneflower (Rudbeckia maxima)
Clumps of silvery-blue leaves up to 24″ long gives rise to sparsely-leaved flower stalks up to 7′ tall. The flowerheads are up to 3″ across and have reflexed yellow ray florets surrounding a dark brown center of disc flower 2-6″ tall. The flowerheads attract butterflies and the seeds attract birds. Flowers are good in both fresh and dried arrangements. Plants tolerate light shade, heat, some drought and a wide range of soils.
Alternate Name/s: Giant coneflower, giant brown-eyed susan, cabbage coneflower, swamp coneflower
Native Range: Louisiana and Arkansas as well as places in the Southwest
Habitat: Moist sunny sites such as prairies, meadows, pastures,
Type: Perennial
Height: 5-7
Bloom Time: Early to mid summer
Bloom Color: yellow with dark brown center
Light: Full sun
Soil: Average, organically rich, moist, well-drained
USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-9
Photo Credit: Wikipedia
Missouri Coneflower (Rudbeckia missouriensis)
This long-lived perennial forms a basal clump of narrow, green, hairy leaves 2-5″ long. Hairy branched steams carry daisy-like flowerheads with yellow to orange ray florets around a center of dark brown to black disc florets. The flowerheads attract butterflies and other pollinators including bees and are good in the vase. The plants tolerate heat, humidity, and some drought.
Alternate Name/s: Missouri orange coneflower
Native Range: Louisiana and Arkansas as well as well as parts of the Southwest and Midwest
Habitat: Limestone glades in the Ozark, rocky prairies
Type: Perennial
Height: 2-3′
Bloom Time: Summer to early fall
Bloom Color: Orange to yellow, dark brown to black enter
Light: Full sun
Soil: Average, dry to medium, well-drained soils
USDA Hardiness Zones: 5-8
Photo Credit: Wikipedia
Sweet Coneflower (Rudbeckia subtomentosa)
Basal and lower leaves are grayish green, lobed, toothed, up to 8″ long, and hairy on the underside. The branched stems have spreading hairs and carry flowerheads 2-3″ across with 10-16 yellow ray florets surrounding a dome of up to 400 dark-purplish-brown disc florets. Flowerheads attract bees and other pollinators and plants provide food for butterfly larvae. Tolerant of heat, humidity, and some drought.
Alternate Name/s: Sweet black-eyed susan
Native Range: Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Kentucky as well as places in the Midwest and Southwest
Habitat: Wet prairies, woodland edges, along stream banks
Type: Perennial
Height: 3-5
Bloom Time: Mid summer to mid fall
Bloom Color: Yellow with dark brown to purplish center
Light: Full sun to part shade
Soil: Average, medium moist, well-drained
USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-8
Photo Credit: Wikipedia
Black Belt Black Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia terranigrae)
Very little information is available about this plant perhaps because it appears to be rather lanky when many other more attractive Rudbeckia are available for the garden. The leaves are coarse, large, and are clustered mid-stem. The daisy-like flowerheads are carried in loose open clusters and appear to have at least 12 yellow ray florets surrounding a dark center of disc florets. Click here for images.
Alternate Name/s: Blackland coneflower, blackearth coneflower
Native Range: Missouri as well as places in the Southwest and Southeast
Habitat: Prairie
Type: Perennial
Height: Relatively tall
Bloom Time: Late summer into fall
Bloom Color: Yellow
Light: Sun
Soil: Average, moderately moist, well-drained; tolerates some dryness (?)
USDA Hardiness Zones: 7-9
Texas Coneflower (Rudbeckia texana)
Glossy, dark green basal leaves are 3.5-10″ long and have a leathery texture. Branched stems carry flowerheads 3-5″ across. The flower heads may be solitary or in small clusters of 2-5 and consist of reflexed golden ray florets surrounding a tall dome of dark brown disc flowers. Plants attract butterflies and other pollinators. The seeds attract birds.
Alternate Name/s: Shiny coneflower
Native Range: Louisiana as well as places in the Southwest
Habitat: Coastal prairie
Type: Perennial
Height: 4-6′
Bloom Time: Late spring to fall
Bloom Color: Yellow, brown centers
Light: Full sun, part shade
Soil: Average, medium moist, well-drained
USDA Hardiness Zones: 8-9
Photo Credit: Wikipedia
Brown-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia triloba)
Densely-branched stems are hairy and carry thin, roughly textured, hairy leaves. Basal leaves are 3-6″ long, may be lobed, and may be evergreen in warm climates. Flowerheads appear singly or in pairs on the tips of the upper branches. Each flowerhead is .5-3″ across and has 6-12 golden yellow ray florets surrounding a flat center of purplish disc flowers. Plants attract butterflies and other pollinators including native bees and are tolerant of heat, some drought, and light shade. Seeds are attractive to birds. Flowers are good in the vase.
Alternate Name/s: Thin-leaved coneflower, three-leaved coneflower, branched coneflower
Native Range: Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee as well as parts of the Rocky Mountain area, Southwest, Midwest, Mid-Atlantic and New England
Habitat: Prairies, woodland borders, thickets, rocky slopes, and along streams
Type: Biennial or short-lived perennial
Height: 3-5′
Bloom Time: Mid summer to frost
Bloom Color: Golden yellow with dark brown center
Light: Full sun
Soil: Average, medium moist, well drained
USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-8
Photo Credit: Fritzflohrreynolds, Wikimedia Commons
The Southeast includes Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Florida. Most of these states are characterized by hot, humid summers and cool to mild winters, with Florida’s tip being tropical. Summers are generally hot and humid throughout the entire region. Precipitation is abundant in the area and comes mostly in the form of rain.