Rudbeckia hirta
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Vibrant, easy to grow 2 to 3 foot tall annual. Known for its cheerful, bight yellow petals and dark central cone that fill the garden in summer and fall.
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Plant thrives in full sun, but can handle some shade. Can tolerate any soil and drought, but does benefit from watering in very dry spells.
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Forms mounds of clumping flowers and fuzzy leaves. It is shorter- lived but, reliantly self-seeds making it ideal for a naturalistic boarder, meadow planting, or pot.
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Native to most US states, you can find throughout prairies, in open woodlands, and along roadsides.
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Foliage unfurls early with buds forming in late spring. Blooms bountifully from summer through fall and are busy with pollinators. Seed sets in mid- late fall bringing birds, and remains standing through most of the winter season.
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Considered a keystone species within its range based on the important role it plays in the lifecycle of insects and birds that rely on it for nectar, pollen, seed, and over-wintering habitat.
Black-Eyed Susan