Black-Eyed Susans [Rubeckia] in Jacki Kellum’s Garden

Several years ago, I wrote a post saying that I am a Black-Eyed Susan kind of gardener, and I suppose that is why I love native plants. That post begins as follows: “I have a very distinctive taste in gardening–it is a bit like me. My garden is natural and a bit untidy. It is loud–in a prayerful sort of way.”

I first discovered black-eyed Susans in a forest that surrounded my childhood summer camp, and from the time that I saw it, I loved it. After that, I began searching for this little bundle of gold. I especially love finding Susans growing in the wild. Fortunately, black-eyed Susans are easily cultivated, and you can buy them in almost every nursery that sells perennials.

Rudbeckia or Black-eyed Susans are one of several native flowers in Mississippi.

“Native plants occur naturally in an area and are adapted to the local soil and climate conditions, making these plants a low-maintenance option. They typically do not require as much fertilizer, insect and disease control, or watering as non-native plants growing in the same area would. This makes them easy to grow and less expensive to care for.

“Another major advantage of having native plants in your landscape is how vital they are to pollinators. Pollinators move pollen from one plant to the next, helping fertilize plants so they can reproduce. Native plants provide an excellent source of food and shelter for critters such as bats, bees, beetles, birds, and butterflies. They’re also beneficial for wildlife in the area, providing food and shelter!

“Coneflower, coreopsis, blue phlox, native azalea, cinnamon fern, multiflora rose, butterfly weed, blue flag iris, milkweed, bee balm, and aster are common native plants found in Mississippi.” – Mary Michaela Parker, Mississippi Agriculture Extension Service

Image Credit: Common Native Roadside Wildflowers of Mississippi MDOT

Butterfly Weed  (Asclepias tuberosa) – Image Credit Wikimedia Commons
Height – Up to 3′

Bearded beggarticks (Bidens aristosa) – Image Credit Flickr
Height – Up to 5′

Giant goldenrod (Solidago gigantea) – Image Credit Wikimedia
Height – Up to 6.5′

Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) –
Image Credit American Meadows
Height – 2′ – 4′

Coreopsis grandiflora-
Image Credit North Carolina Extension Service
Height – 2′

Coreopsis lanceolata –
Image Credit American Meadows
Height – 4′

Prairie Coneflower (Ratibida pinnata)
Image Credit High Country Gardens
Height – 1′ – 3′

Woodland Sunflower (Helianthus augustifolius)
Also called Swamp Sunflower
Image Credit Wikimedia
Height – 5′ – 8′

Compass Plant (Silphium laciniatum)
Image Credit Prairie Moon Nursery
Height – 3′ – 10′

Bitterweed (Helenium amarum)
Image Credit Missouri Botanical Garden

Evening Primrose (Oenothera biennis)
Image Credit: J. Parker’s

Carolina Jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens)
Image Credit: Woodie’s Garden Goods

Image Credit: Bob Tyler Fish Hatchery

Image Credit: Bob Tyler Fish Hatchery

Image Credit: Common Native Roadside Wildflowers of Mississippi MDOT

Selfheal (Prunella vulgaris)
Image Credit: Gardenia.net

Ironweed (Veronica gigantea)
Image Credit: Gardenia.net

Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
Image Credit: Wikimedia

Prairie Phlox (Phlox pilosa)
Image Credit: Gardenia.net

Wild Blue Phlox (Phlox divaricata)
Image Credit: Monticello Shop – Thomas Jefferson’s Garden

Blue Flag Iris (Iris virginica) Southern
Image Credit: American Meadows

Spiderwort (Tradescantia ohiensis)
Image Credit: Wikimedia

Blue Violet (Viola sororia)
Image Credit: New Jersey Native Plant Society

Morning Glory (Ipomoea cordatotriloba)
Image Credit: Gardenia.net

Blue-eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium angustifolium ‘Lucerne
Image Credit: Woodie’s Garden Goods

Lyreleaf Sage (Salvia lyrata)
Image Credit: Wikimedia

Pickerel Weed (Pontederia cordata)
Image Credit: Bonanza

Virginia Spring Beauty (Claytonia virginica)
Image Credit: Native Wildflowers Nursery

Image Credit: Common Native Roadside Wildflowers of Mississippi MDOT

Firewheel (Gaillardia pulchella)
Image Credit: Wikipedia

Swamp Mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos)
Image Credit: White Flower Farm

Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis)
Image Credit: White Flower Farm

Spotted Joe Pye Weed (Eutrochium maculatum)
Image Credit: Johnson’s Nursery

Pink Evening Primrose (Oenothera speciosus Rosea)
Image Credit: High Country Gardens

Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum)
Image Credit: Blazing Star Gardens

Image Credit: Common Native Roadside Wildflowers of Mississippi MDOT

Prairie Daisy Fleabane (Erigeron strigosus)
Image Credit: American Meadows