Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)

Prairie Home Introduction This drought-tolerant member of the Aster family grows to a height of one to three feet. It can grow in all sorts of environments and soil types, and is either a perennial or a biennial, depending on the location. The stem and leaves are bristly, and the flower is a dark yellow with a dark brown or black center disk. It is visited by many pollinators including bees and butterflies. The flowers often host ambush predators, such as jagged ambush bugs, assassin bugs, and crab spiders, that lie patiently in wait for pollinators to arrive. Find It Commonly found in prairies and prairie restorations. Coldwater Spring Fort Snelling State Park Cenaiko Lake (East Coon Rapids Dam Regional Park) Hastings River Front Park Want to Help Us Better Understand the Park? See our iNaturalist project, "The Life of the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area" and contribute to it by downloading the iNaturalist app and uploading your sightings of this species, and others, to the project. You can also upload your sightings from your computer.