{"product_id":"sweet-blackeyed-susan-seeds","title":"Sweet Black-Eyed Susan \"Sweet Coneflower\" (Rudbeckia subtomentosa) Seeds – Anise-Scented Native, Golden Blooms, Heat-Tolerant","description":"\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMinimum:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cem\u003e50+ Seeds\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe Black-Eyed Susan With a Secret Scent\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eBrush past this plant on a warm afternoon and you'll catch something unexpected from a native prairie flower: a genuine anise fragrance rising from crushed foliage. Sweet Black-Eyed Susan pairs that surprise scent with the classic golden-yellow blooms and dark centers of its more common cousins, but on a taller, sturdier plant that shrugs off summer heat and drought without complaint. It's a genuine tallgrass prairie native, built for long, hot summers and years of reliable return.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWho Grows Sweet Black-Eyed Susan?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe native prairie gardener wanting an authentic tallgrass species with real garden presence.\u003cbr\u003eThe pollinator gardener wanting long-blooming golden flowers for bees and butterflies.\u003cbr\u003eThe heat and drought-prone climate gardener needing a perennial that thrives under summer stress.\u003cbr\u003eThe cut-flower gardener wanting sturdy, long-lasting golden stems with a pleasant fragrance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat This Anise-Scented Native Actually Is\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eRudbeckia subtomentosa\u003c\/em\u003e, called sweet black-eyed Susan or sweet coneflower, is a clump-forming perennial native to prairies and moist meadows across the central and eastern US, notable among its genus for the anise scent released when foliage is crushed or bruised. Plants grow 3 to 5 feet tall, forming sturdy, branching clumps topped with golden-yellow, daisy-like flowers with dark brown centers, blooming over a long stretch from midsummer into fall. It tolerates heat, humidity, and drought better than many prairie natives once established, and its height and long bloom period make it a genuine workhorse in a native perennial border. Hardy in zones 4 through 9, it spreads slowly by rhizome to form an expanding clump over time.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIn the Garden \u0026amp; Vase\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCut flower use:\u003c\/strong\u003e Cut sturdy stems at peak bloom for long-lasting, fragrant summer arrangements.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNative prairie planting:\u003c\/strong\u003e Include as an authentic tallgrass species in a native meadow bed.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePollinator support:\u003c\/strong\u003e Let plants flower fully from midsummer into fall for an extended nectar source.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHeat and drought landscaping:\u003c\/strong\u003e Use in a bed that bakes in summer sun where many perennials struggle.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eStructural border planting:\u003c\/strong\u003e Use its height and sturdy stems as a backdrop in a mixed border.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWildlife garden:\u003c\/strong\u003e Leave seed heads standing into fall and winter to feed songbirds like goldfinches.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrowing Sweet Black-Eyed Susan Seeds\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eStart method:\u003c\/strong\u003e Direct sow outdoors in fall, or cold stratify and sow indoors in spring.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eStratification:\u003c\/strong\u003e Cold stratify seeds in moist sand for 30 days if sowing in spring.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGermination:\u003c\/strong\u003e Sprouts in 10-20 days once warm.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSunlight:\u003c\/strong\u003e Full sun to part shade.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSoil:\u003c\/strong\u003e Adaptable to average, clay, or moist soil; tolerates a range once established.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWatering:\u003c\/strong\u003e Consistent moisture while establishing; notably drought-tolerant once mature.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSpacing:\u003c\/strong\u003e Space plants 18-24 inches apart for their clumping spread.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGrowth habit:\u003c\/strong\u003e Spreads slowly by rhizome, forming an expanding clump over seasons.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBloom time:\u003c\/strong\u003e Flowers from midsummer into fall, among the longer native perennial bloom periods.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDeadheading:\u003c\/strong\u003e Optional; leaving spent blooms provides seed for birds through winter.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHardiness:\u003c\/strong\u003e Reliable to zone 4; a genuinely heat- and drought-tolerant native perennial.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLongevity:\u003c\/strong\u003e Long-lived once established, returning reliably for years.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBefore You Close This Page\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis is the black-eyed Susan with a genuine surprise built in, classic golden blooms paired with an anise fragrance no one expects from a native prairie plant. Sweet Coneflower delivers months of bloom from midsummer into fall, standing tall through heat and drought that wilt less resilient perennials. It's a true native workhorse, equally at home in a prairie restoration or a mixed border. Grow the coneflower that rewards a closer look, and a closer smell, with something genuinely unexpected.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"terramatergardens","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54436152017214,"sku":"11611","price":3.49,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/8836\/7166\/files\/candles-5833_561ceb34-ca44-4c02-ade1-0cc5e94b1018.png?v=1789169929","url":"https:\/\/www.terramatergardens.com\/products\/sweet-blackeyed-susan-seeds","provider":"Terra Mater Gardens","version":"1.0","type":"link"}