Gift that became an obsession — Black-eyed Susan

Someone gave me Black-eyed Susan as a birthday gift and I barely knew what it was. Two years later it's my most treasured plant and I've spent more time researching it than I'd care to admit.

The key discovery was allowing plants to set seed before cutting at the end of season — once that clicked, the plant transformed. exceptional wildlife value for bees, butterflies, and hoverflies is what gets mentioned every time anyone visits. I keep it in a naturalistic border at the edge of a garden which works perfectly. early spring bulbs and annual seedling germination is when I understand why this plant has such devoted followers. poor germination in compacted or clay soils is the one ongoing challenge but it's worth the effort.