Brown Eyed Susan

Brown Eyed Susan For Sale

The Brown-Eyed Susan is a lush, bush-like plant that gives gardens beautiful greenery until it flowers in its second year. Once established, it is a resilient, self-seeding plant that takes hold for good in almost any climate. 

Its blossoms are striking, characterized by their deep brown center and stunning golden petals. A profuse self-seeder, it can potentially overwhelm small landscapes, but it is a perfect addition to a native or prairie garden surrounded by other prairie flowers.

Plant Details - Brown Eyed Susan Plants

Family: Asteraceae

Light Requirement: Full sun

Water Needs: Moderate

Height: 2 ft-5 ft

Spread: 2.5 ft

Growth Rate: Moderate-Rapid

Soil Preference: Moist, well drained

Bloom Time: Late summer - hard frost

Flower Color: Yellow

Notable Characteristics - Brown Eyed Susan

The Brown-Eyed Susan has a deep brown, cone-shaped center that fades to light brown at the edges, surrounded by eight golden petals. These plants are commonly mistaken for their siblings, the Yellow Coneflower and the Black Eyed Susan, but can be identified by their oval, lobed petals and their lanky, bush-like shape. 

The petals grow horizontally outward from the base of the cone center, angling only slightly downward, making the flower face visible, even from across the garden. Its brown, slightly woody stems can grow up to 5 ft high with multiple branches that all end in a small, yellow blossom.

This flower is a captivating use of vertical space in your garden, as empty air becomes a sea of soft yellow blossoms.

Landscape and Maintenance of Brown Eyed Susan Plants

These American natives are commonly found from New York to Minnesota, and south to Utah and Texas, across the prairie landscape. The Brown Eyed Susan prefers moist, well-drained soil and full sun, but is remarkably drought resistant, making it a hardy plant well-suited for areas of mixed climate.

The golden blooms attract pollinating insects like bees, butterflies, wasps, and flies, and also serve as the host plant for the larvae of some moth and butterfly species. It is a crucial part of a native ecosystem in any Midwest, prairie climate, visually and biologically complimenting tall, native grasses and prairie wildflowers.