MARYLAND STATE FLOWERS

The Black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta, (the species in the genus Rudbeckia) is the Maryland State Flower. The Black-eyed Susan was designated the state flower of Maryland on April 18, 1918 and is found throughout the United States. Black-eyed Susan is a flowering plant in the family Asteraceae and is an upright annual (sometimes biennial or perennial) native to most of North America. It is one of many plants with the common name Black-eyed Susan. The genus Rudbeckia has a number of species, among which Rudbeckia hirta is one.

Kingdom

Plantae

Division

Magnoliophyta

Class

Magnoliopsida

Order

Asterales

Family

Asteraceae

Genus

Rudbeckia - coneflower

Species

Rudbeckia hirta - black-eyed Susan

Black-eyed Susan flowers are among the most cherished state flowers. They have colorful yellow-gold single petals that are often two to four inches across, and encircling their large black centers. They bloom with solitary terminal heads on long peduncles and feature eight to twenty-one yellow-orange ray florets and dark purple to brownish disk florets. The disk is ovoid in shape and up to 0.8 inch across. The ligules of the Black-eyed Susan are about 1.5 inch long. The involucral bracts are sometimes very elongated, and have long, stiff hairs.

There are about 90 varieties of Black-eyed-Susan. The Black-eyed Susan flower is the best known of the Coneflowers, so named because their centers are cone shaped and the petals bend downward from the center which accentuates the cone.

There are many online florists who deliver flowers to Maryland. You can send flowers, plants of your choice to your loved ones living in Maryland or from Maryland to other locations across the United States of America through these popular Maryland Online Florists.

Facts About Black-eyed Susan

• Some of the varieties of the Black-eyed Susan - Rudbeckia hirta flowers are: Rudbeckia hirta var. angustifolia native to Southeastern United States (South Carolina to Texas); Rudbeckia hirta var. floridana, endemic to Florida; Rudbeckia hirta var. hirta, native to Northeastern United States (Maine to Alabama).
• Black-eyed Susans flowers are also called as Gloriosa Daisy, owing to their yellow, orange, and gold colors.
• Black-eyed Susan flowers from June to August.
• Black-eyed Susan plants can reach 1-2 m in height, and the stems are erect, much branched, and hispid.
• Black-eyed Susans leaves are alternate, hispid, entire or shallow-toothed margins, and vary in size and shape.
• The lower leaves of the Black-eyed Susan plant are oblanceolate to elliptic, up to 6 inches long, and are on petioles.
• The mid-stem leaves of the Black-eyed Susans plant are lance-linear to oblong, and sessile.
• Native to North America, Black Eyed Susan flowers are prolific wildflowers that have become popular in the home flower garden.
• Blackeyed Susan flower plant is a host plant for the Silvery Checkerspot butterfly caterpillar.
• Black-eyed Susan typically stays in a basal rosette its first year, and then produces upright branching stems with flowers in the second year.