August 7, 2026

Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta). This, the Maryland state flower, is thinking of blooming. They’re just buds right now, but in just a few days they’ll be in full bloom. Maryland is the state where I was raised. A state I am mighty proud to claim as mine.

This Black-eyed Susan is said to be an annual or sometimes a biennial or perennial. That’s a bit confusing. In my gardens though, I find them to be biennials. That means it is a plant that has a 2 year biological life. During its first year it simply grows roots and stems with no blooms. It is dormant over the winter and blooms, creating seeds, and dies in the second year.

I can hardly wait for the blooms to happen.

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