When to plant black-eyed susans
Start black-eyed susans seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost and sow seed outdoors 2 to 6 weeks before the last frost.
Your dates for black-eyed susans
Set your ZIP code at the top of the page and we will work out when to plant black-eyed susans where you live, from the frost records of the nearest NOAA weather station. Your ZIP code is remembered on this device only.
Black-eyed Susans planting dates by zone
| Zone | Start indoors | Sow outdoors |
|---|---|---|
| Zone 2a | Mar 24 to Apr 7 | Apr 7 to May 5 |
| Zone 3a | Mar 31 to Apr 14 | Apr 14 to May 12 |
| Zone 3b | Mar 22 to Apr 5 | Apr 5 to May 3 |
| Zone 4a | Mar 18 to Apr 1 | Apr 1 to 29 |
| Zone 4b | Mar 13 to 27 | Mar 27 to Apr 24 |
| Zone 5a | Mar 8 to 22 | Mar 22 to Apr 19 |
| Zone 5b | Mar 6 to 20 | Mar 20 to Apr 17 |
| Zone 6a | Mar 4 to 18 | Mar 18 to Apr 15 |
| Zone 6b | Feb 26 to Mar 12 | Mar 12 to Apr 9 |
| Zone 7a | Feb 19 to Mar 5 | Mar 5 to Apr 2 |
| Zone 7b | Feb 8 to 22 | Feb 22 to Mar 22 |
| Zone 8a | Feb 1 to 15 | Feb 15 to Mar 15 |
| Zone 8b | Jan 20 to Feb 3 | Feb 3 to Mar 3 |
| Zone 9a | Jan 5 to 19 | Jan 19 to Feb 16 |
| Zone 9b | Dec 6 to 20 | Dec 20 to Jan 17 |
Spring dates before the last frost assume the soil has thawed and is dry enough to work. After a late or wet spring, wait for that even if the date has passed.
Where frost is rare
In warm-winter areas black-eyed Susan is sown in fall-winter or early spring. In the Arizona low desert seed goes in from October to early March and plants bloom June through October; the faster Gloriosa daisy strains bloom from April. UF/IFAS lists spring and fall planting months for zones 10-11.
| Zone | Planting months in Extension guides |
|---|---|
| Zone 9 | Apr-May (UF/IFAS FP512); Oct-Mar in the Arizona low desert (AZ1100) |
| Zone 10 | Mar-Apr, Oct-Nov (UF/IFAS FP512) |
| Zone 11 | Mar-Apr, Oct-Nov (UF/IFAS FP512 lists zones 10-11 together) |
Based on UF/IFAS FP512 Rudbeckia hirta fact sheet (planting months by zone); University of Arizona AZ1100 Flower Planting Guide for the Low Desert (Black-eyed Susan and Gloriosa Daisy rows). Warm-winter areas are matched to zones approximately, so use the months for your region.
How to grow black-eyed susansYour full planting calendar
Sources
- Rudbeckia (HGIC fact sheet) · Clemson Cooperative Extension Home & Garden Information Center
- Rudbeckia hirta (Black-eyed Susan) · NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
- Rudbeckia fulgida (Black-eyed Susan, Orange Coneflower) · NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
- 'Prairie Sun' Black-Eyed Susan, Rudbeckia hirta · University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension
- Gloriosa Daisy (Rudbeckia hirta) - Flower Growing Guide · Cornell University Home Gardening
- FPS-512: Rudbeckia hirta Blackeyed Susan, Gloriosa Daisy · University of Florida IFAS Extension
- Maryland State Symbols - State Flower: Black-Eyed Susan · Maryland State Archives (Maryland Manual)
- Flower Planting Guide for the Low Desert (AZ1100) · University of Arizona Cooperative Extension (Maricopa County)