How to Grow Black-Eyed Susans

Most wildflowers grow anywhere and you’ll find Black-Eyed Susans, or Rudbeckia, growing in many prairies, along highways and now in backyard gardens. They make great cut flowers for a late summer centerpiece. Grow and harvest your own Black-Eyed Susans.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

1. Find Black-Eyed Susan seeds. Many wildflower stores, greenhouses and other specialty stores sell Black-Eyed Susan seeds. Search on the Internet for garden stores that sell them. The Wildseed Farm in Fredericksburg, Texas grows wildflowers for seeds. Check out their website for a free catalog, or call 1-800-848-0078.
2. Choose a spot ideal for Black-Eyed Susans. Plant Black Eyed Susans where they’ll get full sun. Black-Eyed Susans thrive with little care. They don’t need fertilizer or even much water and grow well soils that most other plants won’t grow in.
3. Scatter the Black-Eyed Susan seeds on top of the ground where you wish to plant them. Plant when the ground can be worked in early spring to have blooms in late summer. Otherwise, the Black-Eyed Susans will come up the following year.
4. Use sharp scissors to cut the Black-Eyed Susans once they mature and the flowers open. Cut close to the bottom of the stem and leave a few leaves on the stem if possible.
5. Place the Black-Eyed Susans in water immediately after cutting. The Black-Eyed Susans should last for about a week in a vase. Buy some cut flower preservative from a local florist shop to make the cut Black-Eyed Susans last longer.