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Brown Eyed Susans Wintering Habits

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Posted by mccommas z5CT (My Page) on
Sat, Dec 6, 03 at 21:14

I know brown Eyed Susans spread like crazy with seed. But do some of last years plants survive the winter? Do the roots stay alive and then burst into new growth in the spring or are we seeing entirely new plants every year growing from last year's seed?

I have had them in the garden for 3 years now and I really don't know.

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RE: Brown Eyed Susans Wintering Habits

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Rudbeckia triloba is a perennial so it should persist for several year at least, unlike Rudbeckia hirta (black-eyed susan) which can be annual, biennial, or perennial depending on the genotype.

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RE: Brown Eyed Susans Wintering Habits

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Rudbeckia triloba actually is a biennial. It can overwinter with proper protection (IE snow) and optimum conditions, but usually does not. There are selections that last longer than others, but usually I don't get any to last more than the 2nd or 3rd year with good conditions.
Nick

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RE: Brown Eyed Susans Wintering Habits

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I agree that R. triloba is a biennial. I have never seen the wild plants in this area (eastern Missouri) survive into a third growing season. First-year plants do not flower, passing the full first growing season and overwintering as low-growing rosettes. In the second growing season, they grow into the bush-like flowering form, then die with autumn frosts. This life cycle pattern gives the appearance of the plant being present one year and absent the next in places where the entire population is synchronized.

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RE: Brown Eyed Susans Wintering Habits

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Maybe I have both. I have several varieties growing all together. I even had the native weed until they got to selfish and refused to grow straight up.

The ones that have taken over last year are HUGE. The flowers are as big around as my hand.

Thanks for the info. You told me what I wanted to know.

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RE: Brown Eyed Susans Wintering Habits

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I don't think it can be brown-eyed susan if the flowers are as big as your hand. Flowers of these species are smaller than those of most Rudbeckias, about 2 inches across. The annual black-eyed susan (R. hirta), which also tends to re-seed abundantly, has larger blooms, as to many of the perennial Rudbeckias.

Here is a link that might be useful: brown-eyed susan

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RE: Brown Eyed Susans Wintering Habits

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i think u have 'sweet' black eyed suzy. this is one of the spp that they horti into large flowers and some colors other than deep yellow.

froggy

Here is a link that might be useful: sweet coneflower

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RE: Brown Eyed Susans Wintering Habits

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With flower heads that large, I'd venture to say they're one of the cultivar or hybrid Rudbeckias. I have yet to see R. triloba with blooms over 2 inches across, and even that is big for the species. R. subtomentosa (sweet coneflower) has blooms about twice as large, but usually only the cultivars have 5-6 inch ones.

  
 

 

 


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