It looked like a miniature Black-eyed Susan–a cluster of small daisy-like flowers with yellow petals and dark centers. It was blossoming in the ditch beside the road. I dug it up and transplanted it to our front garden. It stayed in bloom almost till frost.
I found out it’s a native wildflower known as “Brown-eyed Susan,” Rudbeckia triloba. The species name refers to the three-lobed lower leaves on the plants.
The species name refers to the three-lobed lower leaves on the plants.
The genus name, Rudbeckia, honors the Rudbecks, Swedish botanists who were predecessors of Linnaeus.
Ever since that first introduction, the plants have been showing up all around our yard and garden giving us dazzling explosions of floral glory. More than 100 species of pollinator insects have been seen visiting the blossoms. The plant can be found through much of the eastern and central US. Keep on the lookout. You too can have floral explosions in your own backyard!
I always learn something new from your posts.
I was fortunate enough to have attended a weeklong session you presented at the NCCAT center at Western Carolina.It was so inspiring. I just started rereading your book Wildwoods Wisdom! I loved that week! I taught first grade for many years. That week gave me many great ideas for my class including such things and having a herpetologist visit us with his corn snakes, planting a classroom garden, a study of recycling with an interactive skit for the whole class to have a part in, using the back of my classroom for the kids to bring in their scraps from dinner to compost. How much fun we had from your inspiration! Genuinely, a huge thank you to you!!