Kendall County (IL) Forest Preserve District
Sweet Black-Eyed Susan
(Sweet Coneflower)
Rudbeckia subtomentosa [C-value 9]
Aster family (Asteraceae)
Blooms August -
mid-September
The native Sweet Black-Eyed Susan is uncommon in our area. It prefers full or partial sun and moist to slightly moist loamy soil. Habitats include black soil prairies, savannas, thickets, openings in deciduous woodlands, woodland borders and banks of streams. This lovely perennial is 3-6' tall and branching occasionally with hairy stems. The lower leaves are up to 8" long and 4½" across and usually have 3-5 deep lobes. The upper leaves are usually unlobed and up to 3" long and 1" across, elliptic or lance-shaped, toothed, and rough-textured with short stiff hairs. The upper stems terminate in a solitary flower on long (up to 8") peduncle. The daisy-like flower is 2–3½" across with 10-20 bright yellow ray florets surrounding numerous dark reddish purple disk florets.
Sweet Black-Eyed Susan at Hoover Forest Preserve August 31, 2013
Sweet Black-Eyed Susan at Hoover Forest Preserve August 15, 2013
Sweet Black-Eyed Susan upper leaves at Yorkville Riverview Park August 24, 2015
Sweet Black-Eyed Susan lower leaves at Hoover Forest Preserve August 31, 2013
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