Black-eyed Susan vs Brown-eyed Susan

Two native rudbeckias with gold, dark-eyed daisies in late summer. Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia fulgida) is a long-lived perennial, about two feet, with bigger flowers, and slowly spreads into drifts. Brown-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia triloba) is twice the height and bushy, smothered in hundreds of smaller flowers into autumn, and lives only two or three years, carrying on by seeding itself. Its lighter, looser look suits a meadow-style planting.

	Black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia fulgida	Brown-eyed Susan Rudbeckia triloba
Size	24 in tall, 18 in wide	4 ft tall, 24 in wide
Plant	18 in apart	18 in apart
Zones	3 to 9	4 to 8
Light	Full sun to part sun	Full sun to part sun
Soil	Well-drained, average fertility	Well-drained, average fertility
Flowers	Mid July to mid September; yellow	Late July to early October; yellow
Leaves	Medium, herbaceous	Medium, herbaceous
Job in a bed	Drift	Drift
Pets	No toxicity recorded	No toxicity recorded
Deer	Resistant	Resistant
Native	Yes	Yes
Spread	Moderate risk	Moderate risk

Rows where they differ are marked. Flowering times are for zone 5.

Which to choose

Choose black-eyed Susan for colder gardens (to zone 3), warmer gardens (to zone 9) and a smaller space (24 in against 4 ft).
Choose brown-eyed Susan for more height (4 ft against 24 in).

Can they grow together?

Yes: they grow in the same conditions. What brown-eyed Susan brings beside black-eyed Susan: in flower together for nine weeks, from late July; tall enough (4 ft) to stand behind it. They share full sun and part sun and zones 4 to 8.

Read more: all about black-eyed Susan, and all about brown-eyed Susan, each with a bed the planner designed around it.