Is Black-Eyed Susan deer resistant?
Rudbeckia sp.
Plant typePerennialHardinessZones 3–9, genus rangeLightFull sun
MaintenanceLow, mostly leave it alone
About Black-Eyed Susan
Coarse hairy leaves are what deter browsing, and they are also why it shrugs off drought. Leave the seed heads standing for goldfinches.
Soil and care
- Soil pH
- 6 to 7.5
- Drainage
- Well drained
- Water
- Low
- Spacing
- 18 to 24 in apart
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Maintenance
- Low
Similar to Black-Eyed Susan
Other perennials with the same deer rating.
- African LilyAgapanthus sp.Zones 8–11, genus rangeSeldom damaged
- AsparagusAsparagus officinalisZones 2–9Seldom damaged
- AsterAster sp.Zones 3–8, genus rangeSeldom damaged
- AstilbeAstilbe x arendsiiZones 3–8Seldom damaged
- Baby's BreathGypsophila sp.Zones 3–9, genus rangeSeldom damaged
- BastardsageEriogonum wrightiiZones 5–10Seldom damaged
Where Black-Eyed Susan grows
Hardy across most of these 51 states on zone range alone. Mountain and coastal areas sit outside the ranges used here, so check your own zone before ordering.
- Pennsylvania
- New Jersey
- New York
- Connecticut
- Massachusetts
- Virginia
- Maryland
- Michigan
- Wisconsin
- Ohio
- Indiana
- Illinois
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- North Carolina
- Tennessee
- Georgia
- Texas
- Colorado
- California
- Oregon
- Washington
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- Maine
- Rhode Island
- Delaware
- West Virginia
- Kentucky
- South Carolina
- Florida
- Alabama
- Mississippi
- Louisiana
- Arkansas
- Oklahoma
- Kansas
- Nebraska
- Iowa
- North Dakota
- South Dakota
- Montana
- Wyoming
- Idaho
- Utah
- Nevada
- Arizona
- New Mexico
- Alaska
- District of Columbia
- Hawaii
Browse from here
Every list Black-Eyed Susan belongs to.
Hardy in these zones
Common questions about Black-Eyed Susan
- Is Black-Eyed Susan deer resistant?
- Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia sp.) is rated Seldom Severely Damaged on the Rutgers NJAES four-tier scale. Light browsing at worst; rarely ruined.
- What hardiness zones does Black-Eyed Susan grow in?
- Black-Eyed Susan is hardy in USDA zones 3 to 9. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat. That is the range across the genus, so a named species or cultivar may be narrower.
- Does Black-Eyed Susan grow in shade?
- No. Black-Eyed Susan wants full sun and will grow thin and flop in shade.