Bloomipedia
Brown-eyed susan (Rudbeckia triloba)
Photo: Dominic via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Brown-eyed susan

Rudbeckia triloba

Brown-eyed susan (Rudbeckia triloba) is a flowering plant in the Asteraceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly July–October across the U.S.

Native in the lower 48

Brown-eyed susan is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 7 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in July–October.

34states where USDA records it
7Bloomipedia state lists include it
19,295U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, Wisconsin

Quick look

Rudbeckia triloba, the browneyed or brown-eyed susan, thin-leaved coneflower or three-leaved coneflower, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae with numerous, yellow, daisy-like flowers. It is native to the central and eastern United States and is often seen in old fields or along roads. It is also cultivated as an ornamental.

  • It belongs to the Asteraceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 34 states. USDA PLANTS
  • In Wisconsin, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in August–October. iNaturalist
  • In Ohio, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in August–October. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 2,387 research-grade sightings of it in Wisconsin, ranking #52 among the 161 flowers on our Wisconsin list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 2,258 research-grade sightings of it in Ohio, ranking #78 among the 186 flowers on our Ohio list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 2,082 research-grade sightings of it in Illinois, ranking #91 among the 180 flowers on our Illinois list. iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (4,970 records)
Bloom time in the 7 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
WisconsinNativeAugust–October2,387
OhioNativeAugust–October2,258
IllinoisNativeJuly–September2,082
MissouriNativeJuly–September1,506
TennesseeNativeJuly–September1,292
IndianaNativeJuly–September1,117
IowaNativeJuly–September455

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)
Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
NatureServe global
G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
State rare plant lists
Not listed Not on the official rare plant list in 5 of our 7 states.
See each state
Wisconsin
Not listed Not on Wisconsin endangered and threatened species list (Wis. Admin. Code NR 27.03). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Wisconsin. NR 27.03
Ohio
Not listed Not on Ohio endangered and threatened plants (Ohio Adm. Code 1501:18-1-03, eff. Dec. 26, 2024). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Ohio. OAC 1501:18-1-03
Illinois
Not listed Not on Illinois List of Endangered and Threatened Flora (17 Ill. Adm. Code 1050), per the Endangered Species Protection Board's 2025 checklist. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Illinois. IL E&T checklist 2025
Missouri
Not listed Not on Missouri Wildlife Code endangered species (3 CSR 10-4.111), plants. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Missouri. 3 CSR 10-4.111
Iowa
Not listed Not on Iowa endangered, threatened and special concern plants (Iowa Admin. Code r. 571-77.3). NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Iowa. IAC 571-77.3
Tennessee
Variety listed Only Rudbeckia triloba var. beadlei is on Tennessee endangered plants (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0400-06-02-.04, Rare Plant Protection and Conservation Act) (state endangered). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Tennessee. TN rule 0400-06-02-.04
Indiana
No list Indiana has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (the DNR keeps a rare plant list, but it isn't regulatory), so we show NatureServe's Indiana ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Indiana.
Rare elsewhere
Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: NC (S2). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Please leave it where it grows

Please don't pick or dig this flower: Rudbeckia triloba var. beadlei is on Tennessee's rare plant list (state endangered). TN rule 0400-06-02-.04

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no edibility or poison notes on its page), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. NC State Extension

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records brown-eyed susan in 34 states plus Washington, D.C.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin; District of Columbia.

Wisconsin counties with USDA records: Adams, Brown, Calumet, Dane, Fond du Lac, Green, Iowa, Jefferson, Kenosha, Kewaunee, La Crosse, Lafayette, Manitowoc, Milwaukee, Outagamie, Ozaukee, Racine, Richland, Rock, Sauk, Vernon, Walworth, Washington, Waukesha, Winnebago.

Ohio counties with USDA records: Adams, Ashtabula, Athens, Auglaize, Belmont, Butler, Carroll, Champaign, Clark, Clermont, Clinton, Columbiana, Crawford, Cuyahoga, Darke, Delaware, Erie, Fairfield, Fayette, Franklin, Gallia, Geauga, Greene, Guernsey, Hamilton, Harrison, Henry, Highland, Hocking, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Knox, Lake, Lawrence, Licking, Logan, Lorain, Madison, Mahoning, Meigs, Monroe, Morgan, Morrow, Muskingum, Noble, Ottawa, Perry, Pickaway, Pike, Portage, Richland, Ross, Sandusky, Scioto, Seneca, Shelby, Stark, Summit, Tuscarawas, Union, Van Wert, Vinton, Warren, Wayne, Wyandot.

Illinois counties with USDA records: Adams, Bond, Boone, Brown, Bureau, Cass, Champaign, Clark, Coles, Cook, Crawford, Cumberland, DeKalb, Douglas, DuPage, Edgar, Edwards, Effingham, Fayette, Ford, Fulton, Gallatin, Greene, Grundy, Hamilton, Hancock, Hardin, Henderson, Iroquois, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Jersey, Jo Daviess, Johnson, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Knox, LaSalle, Lake, Lawrence, Livingston, Logan, Macon, Macoupin, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Mason, Massac, McDonough, McHenry, McLean, Menard, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Moultrie, Ogle, Peoria, Perry, Piatt, Pike, Pope, Pulaski, Putnam, Randolph, Rock Island, Sangamon, Schuyler, Scott, Shelby, St. Clair, Stark, Stephenson, Tazewell, Union, Vermilion, Wabash, Warren, White, Will, Winnebago, Woodford.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Canada: Introduced; Lower 48 states: Native.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 752 counties across 31 states; the most are in Missouri (107), Illinois (85), Ohio (66).

Other Rudbeckia on Bloomipedia (4): Black-eyed Susan, Cutleaf coneflower, Clasping coneflower, Western coneflower.

More from the Asteraceae family (212 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Common yarrow, Goldenrods, White snakeroot, Sunflowers, Chicory, Bull thistle, Common dandelion, Firewheel.

More Wisconsin flowers

White snakeroot (Ageratina altissima)

White snakeroot

Ageratina altissima

Native

🌼 Blooms in WI: August–September
Common yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

Common yarrow

Achillea millefolium

Native

🌼 Blooms in WI: June–July
Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)

Black-eyed Susan

Rudbeckia hirta

★ MD state flowerNative

🌼 Blooms in WI: June–August

Sources