Roadless Areas
Home/Species/ Black-eyed-Susan

Rudbeckia hirta

L.

Black-eyed-Susan

G5Secure Found in 114 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.128304
Element CodePDAST85080
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderAsterales
FamilyAsteraceae
GenusRudbeckia
Other Common Names
blackeyed Susan (EN) Rudbeckie hérissée (FR)
Concept Reference
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2024-08-02
Change Date1984-08-29
Edition Date2024-08-02
Edition AuthorsN. Ventrella (2024)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
Rudbeckia hirta is an annual, biennial or perennial herb occurring in meadows, prairies, pastures, open woodlands, old fields, and roadsides of most of North America, and as an introduced species in Asia, Europe, South America, and parts of Canada. This is a very common species, with some strains that are cultivated for ornamental use or used in seed mixes. Threats to Rudbeckia hirta potentially include development, rights-of-way maintenance, and invasive species; however, with a large range extent, high number of occurrences, and broad habitat preferences for abundant habitat, this species is considered secure.
Range Extent Comments
The range of Rudbeckia hirta covers most of North America from British Columbia east to Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada (where it may be introduced) (POWO 2024), south from Maine to Florida and west to California and Washington in the United States (FNA 2006). It is an introduced species in Asia, Europe, South America, and parts of Canada (POWO 2024).
Range extent was estimated to be well over 2.5 million square kilometers using herbarium specimens and photo-based observations documented in 2024 (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, SEINet 2024). See individual entries for distribution details about the four varieties.
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium records and photo-based observations documented in 2024, there are estimated to be well over 1,000 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, SEINet 2024). However, this taxon is commonly cultivated, and iNaturalist observations (>58,000) were not evaluated for evidence of cultivation (iNaturalist 2024).
Threat Impact Comments
Although threats are not widely documented, Rudbeckia hirta is potentially threatened by development, rights-of-way maintenance, invasive species, and other threats in some places. However, their overall impact is likely negligible given the species' broad range, large number of occurrences, tolerance of light disturbance, and affinity for typically abundant habitats, as well as no obvious intrinsic vulnerabilities.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Rudbeckia hirta occurs in meadows, prairies, pastures, open woodlands, old fields, and roadsides (FNA 2006).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest/WoodlandForest EdgeGrassland/herbaceousOld field
Other Nations (2)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
New JerseySNRYes
MaineSNRYes
NebraskaSNRYes
MississippiSNRYes
ColoradoS4Yes
LouisianaSNRYes
WyomingS4Yes
MichiganSNRYes
KansasSNRYes
Rhode IslandSNRYes
IdahoSNRYes
IowaS5Yes
DelawareSNRYes
MissouriSNRYes
WashingtonSNRYes
New MexicoSNRYes
PennsylvaniaS5Yes
VermontSHYes
District of ColumbiaSNRYes
OregonSNRYes
West VirginiaS5Yes
South DakotaSNRYes
MontanaSNANo
New YorkSNRYes
MarylandSNRYes
OhioSNRYes
North CarolinaS5Yes
MinnesotaSNRYes
VirginiaS5Yes
IllinoisSNRYes
AlabamaSNRYes
WisconsinSNRYes
UtahSNRYes
New HampshireSNRYes
KentuckyS5Yes
TexasSNRYes
ArkansasSNRYes
GeorgiaSNRYes
CaliforniaSNRYes
South CarolinaSNRYes
FloridaS5Yes
OklahomaSNRYes
MassachusettsSNRYes
IndianaS5Yes
ConnecticutSNRYes
TennesseeSNRYes
North DakotaSNRYes
CanadaN5
ProvinceRankNative
SaskatchewanS4Yes
Island of NewfoundlandSNANo
Nova ScotiaSNANo
British ColumbiaSNANo
ManitobaS5Yes
OntarioS5Yes
Prince Edward IslandSNANo
AlbertaSNANo
New BrunswickSNANo
QuebecSNANo
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
Unknown/undetermined———

—

Plant Characteristics
DurationANNUAL, BIENNIAL, PERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (114)
Arkansas (5)
AreaForestAcres
Brush HeapOuachita National Forest4,205
Dismal CreekOzark-St. Francis National Forest9,160
East ForkOzark-St. Francis National Forest13,037
Gee CreekOzark-St. Francis National Forest7,957
Pedestal RocksOzark-St. Francis National Forest21,957
California (6)
AreaForestAcres
City CreekSan Bernardino National Forest9,997
Deep CreekSan Bernardino National Forest23,869
Middle ForkPlumas National Forest29,278
Mill PeakSan Bernardino National Forest7,884
Mt. RebaStanislaus National Forest3,869
Raymond PeakStanislaus National Forest3,646
Colorado (2)
AreaForestAcres
Comanche Peak Adjacent AreaArapaho & Roosevelt NFs44,158
Long ParkRoutt NF42,100
Georgia (4)
AreaForestAcres
Kelly RidgeChattahoochee National Forest8,325
Lance CreekChattahoochee National Forest9,025
Pink KnobChattahoochee National Forest12,127
Tripp BranchChattahoochee National Forest615
Idaho (1)
AreaForestAcres
Bear CreekCaribou-Targhee National Forest118,582
Maine (1)
AreaForestAcres
Caribou - Speckled ExtWhite Mountain National Forest5,988
Michigan (1)
AreaForestAcres
DeliriumHiawatha National Forest190
Minnesota (7)
AreaForestAcres
Baker - Homer - Brule LakesSuperior National Forest6,712
Brule Lake - Eagle MountainSuperior National Forest12,380
Cabin CreekSuperior National Forest6,071
Kawishiwi Lake To SawbillSuperior National Forest15,305
Phantom LakeSuperior National Forest6,521
Tait LakeSuperior National Forest6,327
Wood LakeSuperior National Forest596
Missouri (1)
AreaForestAcres
Big Creek Rare II Study AreaMark Twain National Forest9,277
Montana (1)
AreaForestAcres
Cabinet Face East #671Kootenai National Forest50,326
New Hampshire (12)
AreaForestAcres
Carr MountainWhite Mountain National Forest17,110
Cherry MountainWhite Mountain National Forest8,766
Great Gulf Ext.White Mountain National Forest15,110
JobildunkWhite Mountain National Forest3,660
KilkennyWhite Mountain National Forest28,766
Mt. Wolf - Gordon PondWhite Mountain National Forest11,846
PemigewassetWhite Mountain National Forest32,255
Pemigewasset ExtWhite Mountain National Forest15,840
Presidential - Dry River ExtWhite Mountain National Forest10,555
Sandwich RangeWhite Mountain National Forest16,797
WatervilleWhite Mountain National Forest4,312
Wild RiverWhite Mountain National Forest46,878
New Mexico (11)
AreaForestAcres
Black CanyonSanta Fe National Forest1,922
Canada Bonito RNASanta Fe National Forest487
Columbine - Hondo Wilderness Study AreaCarson National Forest43,739
Comales CanyonCarson National Forest4,389
Grass MountainSanta Fe National Forest3,254
Guaje CanyonSanta Fe National Forest6,104
Holy GhostSanta Fe National Forest2,352
Jacks CreekSanta Fe National Forest740
PecosCarson National Forest13,436
Pecos WS RiverSanta Fe National Forest5,396
Thompson PeakSanta Fe National Forest33,001
North Carolina (11)
AreaForestAcres
Bald MountainPisgah National Forest11,085
Balsam ConePisgah National Forest10,591
Boteler PeakNantahala National Forest4,205
Catfish Lake South - BCroatan National Forest172
Cheoah BaldNantahala National Forest7,795
Craggy MountainPisgah National Forest2,657
Jarrett CreekPisgah National Forest7,485
Laurel MountainPisgah National Forest5,683
Middle Prong AdditionPisgah National Forest1,852
Sheep Ridge AdditionCroatan National Forest5,808
Wesser BaldNantahala National Forest4,061
North Dakota (3)
AreaForestAcres
DurlerDakota Prairie Grasslands12,464
SheyenneDakota Prairie Grasslands14,537
VenloDakota Prairie Grasslands5,317
Pennsylvania (1)
AreaForestAcres
Allegheny FrontAllegheny National Forest7,430
South Carolina (1)
AreaForestAcres
Wambaw ExtFrancis Marion National Forest527
South Dakota (2)
AreaForestAcres
Beaver ParkBlack Hills National Forest5,010
Indian CreekBuffalo Gap National Grassland24,666
Tennessee (5)
AreaForestAcres
Bald River Gorge AdditionCherokee National Forest1,728
Flint Mill GapCherokee National Forest9,494
London Bridge BranchCherokee National Forest3,387
Slide HollowCherokee National Forest4,057
Upper Bald RiverCherokee National Forest9,202
Texas (2)
AreaForestAcres
Big CreekNational Forests in Texas1,447
Little Lake CreekNational Forests in Texas596
Utah (1)
AreaForestAcres
Lone Peak ContiguousWasatch-Cache National Forest874
Vermont (5)
AreaForestAcres
Bread LoafGreen Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests1,768
Griffith Lake 09084Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests1,833
Lye Brook Addition 09085Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests1,111
Wilder Mountain 09082Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests8,759
Woodford 09086Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests2,456
Virginia (15)
AreaForestAcres
Adams PeakGeorge Washington National Forest7,135
Bear CreekJefferson National Forest18,274
Beards MountainGeorge Washington National Forest7,505
Brush MountainJefferson National Forest6,002
James River AdditionJefferson National Forest1,140
Kelley MountainGeorge Washington National Forest7,590
Little RiverGeorge Washington National Forest27,292
Northern MassanuttenGeorge Washington National Forest9,444
Oak KnobGeorge Washington National Forest10,882
Peters Mountain Addition BJefferson National Forest2,909
Ramseys Draft AdditionGeorge Washington National Forest12,781
Saint Marys AdditionGeorge Washington National Forest1,454
Seng MountainJefferson National Forest6,428
Southern MassanuttenGeorge Washington National Forest11,985
Three RidgesGeorge Washington National Forest4,745
Washington (4)
AreaForestAcres
Canyon CreekWenatchee National Forest7,983
Pasayten RimOkanogan National Forest17,074
Rock CreekWenatchee National Forest32,239
Twin LakesWenatchee National Forest22,496
West Virginia (10)
AreaForestAcres
Canaan LoopMonongahela National Forest7,867
Cranberry AdditionMonongahela National Forest11,123
Cranberry Glades Botanical AreaMonongahela National Forest785
Dolly Sods Roaring PlainMonongahela National Forest13,392
Falls Of Hills CreekMonongahela National Forest6,925
Middle MountainMonongahela National Forest19,020
Seneca CreekMonongahela National Forest22,287
Spice RunMonongahela National Forest6,251
Tea Creek MountainMonongahela National Forest8,295
Turkey MountainMonongahela National Forest6,421
Wisconsin (2)
AreaForestAcres
09154 - St. Peters DomeChequamegon-Nicolet National Forest4,002
09177 - Le Roy CreekChequamegon-Nicolet National Forest8,138
References (7)
  1. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2006c. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 21. Magnoliophyta: Asteridae, part 8: Asteraceae, part 3. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxii + 616 pp.
  2. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2024. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2024).
  3. iNaturalist. 2024. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2024).
  4. Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
  5. Native Plant Trust. 2024. Go Botany website. Online. Available: https://gobotany.newenglandwild.org (accessed 2024).
  6. Plants of the World Online (POWO). 2024. Plants of the World Online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Online. Available: https://powo.science.kew.org/ (accessed 2024).
  7. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2024. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2024).