Do Black-Eyed Susans Come Up from the Roots Each Year?

Short-Lived Perennial

• Short-lived perennials will come back from the roots for a few years and then fade out. In contrast, long-lived perennials can grow and come back from the roots for two decades or more. Short-lived perennial tend to comes back for two to three years and then decline, but can return for up to 10 years. Biennials grow for two seasons, dying back at the end of the first growing season and then regrowing from the roots the following spring. After the second year, biennials die back permanently.

As Annuals

• In uncultivated and cultivated settings, black-eyed Susan plants self-seed profusely, after which, some plants will die back, while others will come back from the roots. Often, perennials take several years to bloom when planted from seed, but the black-eyed Susan blooms reliably the first summer after planting, making it well suited for use as an annual in the garden.

Growing

• Though black-eyed Susan's don't tend to come back from the roots reliably like other perennials, some plants will regrow for a few seasons. Combine this perennial growth habit with the plants ability to self-seed, and you will have black-eyed Susan's coming up in your garden every season, without needing to replant. These cheerful flowers are ideal for wildflower gardens and meadows, cottage gardens, border areas and cutting gardens.

Plant Characteristics and Use

• Black-eyed Susan plants grow 2 to 3 feet tall and produce bright yellow flowers 2 to 3 inches in diameter. The flowers have yellow ray-shaped petals that extend out from a dark, almost black center disk. Black-eyed Susan flowers bloom in late spring and early summer. This wildflower will naturalize readily, and rarely is plagued by deer and other browsing animals.

Growing and Care

• Plant seeds either in fall or spring. The seeds take seven to 30 days to germinate in 70 degree Fahrenheit soil. Plant the seeds 1/16 inch deep, or scatter the seeds on the soil and rake them in gently to the top 1/16 inch of soil. Black-eyed Susan's grow best in full sun and loamy, moist soil. Like many wildflowers, black-eyed Susan's grow well without additional fertilizer and only need water during periods of drought.