Black-eyed Susan is a native North American wildflower that thrives in sun lit prairies, fields and roadsides. It was originally thought to have spread from the Great Plains eastward, but recent research indicates it was native to colonial towns in Maryland. It was the colonists who named the plant black-eyed Susan featured in an English poem by John Gray:

l in the downs, the fleet was moored,

Banners waving in the wind,

When Black-Eyed Susan came aboard

And eyed the burly men.

“Tell me ye sailors, tell me true

Does my Sweet William, sail with you?”

Black-eyed Susans are one of the first plants to grow in an area damaged by fire. These pretty wildflowers are desirable by gardeners who plant them in their home landscapes.