Is Blackeyed Susan deer resistant?
Rudbeckia hirta
Light browsing at worst; rarely ruined.
Not listed by Rutgers NJAES. Rated deer-resistant by El Paso County CSU Extension, whose list is a single category, mapped conservatively to Seldom Severely Damaged.
About Blackeyed Susan
The defence is texture rather than chemistry. Stems and leaves are covered in bristly hairs under that familiar golden daisy and its brown central cone, and deer generally pass it by. Treat it as a perennial and you will lose it. Depending on conditions it behaves as an annual, a biennial or a short-lived perennial, so a gardener who deadheads tidily removes the only thing keeping the colony going. Let some heads go over. It self-seeds freely and usually stays in the garden that way, shifting position a little each season. Give it drainage and moving air. Powdery mildew is the standing complaint and it is worse in crowded, humid, still plantings; slugs and snails work on the young growth. Seed sown early in spring flowers the same year, which is exactly why so many people file it as an annual and are then surprised when it comes back.
Similar to Blackeyed 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 Blackeyed Susan grows
Hardy across most of these 50 states on zone range alone. Mountain and coastal areas sit outside the ranges used here, so check your own zone before ordering.
- Pennsylvanianative
- New Jerseynative
- New Yorknative
- Connecticutnative
- Massachusettsnative
- Virginianative
- Marylandnative
- Michigannative
- Wisconsinnative
- Ohionative
- Indiananative
- Illinoisnative
- Minnesotanative
- Missourinative
- North Carolinanative
- Tennesseenative
- Georgianative
- Texasnative
- Coloradonative
- Californianative
- Oregonnative
- Washingtonnative
- New Hampshirenative
- Vermontnative
- Mainenative
- Rhode Islandnative
- Delawarenative
- West Virginianative
- Kentuckynative
- South Carolinanative
- Floridanative
- Alabamanative
- Mississippinative
- Louisiananative
- Arkansasnative
- Oklahomanative
- Kansasnative
- Nebraskanative
- Iowanative
- North Dakotanative
- South Dakotanative
- Montananative
- Wyomingnative
- Idahonative
- Utahnative
- Nevada
- Arizona
- New Mexiconative
- Alaska
- District of Columbianative
Highlighted states are within its native range according to the USDA PLANTS database, where it is native to 47 US states in total.
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Every list Blackeyed Susan belongs to.
Hardy in these zones
Common questions about Blackeyed Susan
- Is Blackeyed Susan deer resistant?
- Blackeyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) is rated Seldom Severely Damaged on the Rutgers NJAES four-tier scale. Light browsing at worst; rarely ruined.
- What hardiness zones does Blackeyed Susan grow in?
- Blackeyed Susan is hardy in USDA zones 3 to 8. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
- Does Blackeyed Susan grow in shade?
- No. Blackeyed Susan wants full sun and will grow thin and flop in shade.
- How big does Blackeyed Susan get?
- Mature height is roughly 36–36 in. Growth rate is moderate.