Black-eyed susans (Rudbeckia hirta) are one of my favorite wildflowers and they’re blooming right now.

These are in large patches in my front yard. I mowed yesterday, but left them standing. I also mowed around some antelope horn so the yard looks kind of funny, but presentable. Having a funny-looking yard is the price you pay for being a master naturalist.

Black-eyed Susans

Black-eye susans are biennuals which means they take two years to complete the flowering cycle. Beside being pretty, they’re very beneficial. The bees and butterflies like their nectar and birds like their seeds. They are also medicinal although you probably won’t ever need that.

Like most wildflowers, they are not picky about the amount of light they get. The one we have are in full sun most of the day, but they will also grow in shaded areas. You can see them all around our road sides right now.

They grow quite tall, over a foot. I lay on the ground to get a view you don’t normally see. They look like giants.

Black-eyed Susans

Indian blankets (Gaillardia pulchella) are another wildflower in bloom right now. They are also known as firewheels which is a great name. They are one of the major prairie wildflowers and are annuals.

These are also in my front yard. You can see a small butterfly, I think it’s a skipper, sitting on one. The petals come in groups of three and are red at the base, becoming yellow at the end. Sometimes the petals are solid red or yellow, but I’ve never seen that. I’m always on the lookout for unusual variations.

Indian Blankets

Like all our native wildflowers, the black-eye susans and indian blankets are well-adapted and require no care. Even though these are in our front yard, we do nothing to care for them, except for not mowing them down. That’s easy to not do!