Rudbeckia triloba (Brown-Eyed Susan)

Size: 2-3’ tall / 1-2’ wide

Sun: Full Sun - Part Shade

Soil: Average-Moist, Well-Drained / Adaptagle

Bloom Time: Mid-Summer - Fall

Deer Resistance: 2.5/5

Most people are familiar with Brown-Eyed Susans. They are biennials or short-lived perennials, but they self-seed prolifically. This is a natural pioneer plant and a great way to add interest to new native plantings. It will quickly colonize an area, and then over time peter out as other longer-lived perennials take hold. 

Brown-Eyed Susans, like other species of Rudbeckia, are some of the most attractive plants to pollinators. The seeds are enjoyed by birds in the fall and winter, and that semi-evergreen basal leaves provide winter shelter for insects. They're typically avoided by deer unless food is scarce.