Pockets Of Light:
Washington Avenue Pier

Plant

Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta

Ecology

Black-eyed Susan is a native wildflower that provides food for many different animals. At least four species of bee, all with pretty cute names, collect pollen and nectar from it: little carpenter bees, leaf-cutting bees, green metallic bees, and coneflower miner bees.

Wild turkeys and many songbirds eat black-eyed Susan seeds, and several species of butterfly visit the flowers and lay their eggs on the plant, creating another food source in the form of caterpillars. Deer also graze on its leaves in winter.

Black-eyed Susan is a fairly adaptable species that can survive in fields, open woodlands, roadsides, and abandoned areas. It also has a long blooming period—from June to October. These two qualities make it an attractive and effective choice for many areas, like the Delaware River Waterfront. Can you find any growing on Washington Avenue Pier?

Indigenous Uses

Many medicinal uses for black-eyed Susan have been recorded among Native American tribes. These include treating worms, sores, earaches, snake bites, and venereal diseases by the Cherokee; treating headaches and fevers by the Seminole; treating sore eyes by the Shuswap; as a heart medicine by the Iroquois; and as a cold remedy by the Potawatomi, who also used the flower petals to make a yellow dye.

Symbolism

The adaptibility and floral longevity of black-eyed Susans has made them a symbol of resilience or endurance. They are also seen to represent justice, perhaps because their bright petals shine light on the darkness at the heart of the flower.

One Last Thought

The black-eyed Susan is the state flower of Maryland. For this reason, the winner of the Preakness (part of the Triple Crown) is draped with hundreds of black-eyed Susan flowers.

Inspired to grow a native plant or get involved in a community garden?

Here are some good places to start:

Tag us in your native plant pics!