Black-eyed Susan

Rudbeckia hirta, commonly called black-eyed Susan and yellow coneflower, is a North American flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It grows to 1 metre (3+1⁄2 ft) tall with daisy-like yellow flower heads. There are numerous cultivars. It was used medicinally by Native Americans, and is the state flower of Maryland.

Rudbeckia hirta is an upright annual (sometimes biennial or perennial) growing 30–100 cm (12–39 in) tall by 30–45 cm (12–18 in) wide. It has alternate, mostly basal leaves 10–18 cm long, covered by coarse hair, with stout branching stems and daisy-like, composite flower heads appearing in late summer and early autumn. In the species, the flowers are up to 10 cm (4 in) in diameter, with yellow ray florets circling conspicuous brown or black, dome-shaped cone of many small disc florets.^[2] However, extensive breeding has produced a range of sizes and colours, including oranges, reds and browns.^[3][4]