Maryland State Flower

When the Rudbeckia blooms I think of my first family and my first home. I think of my brothers, my mother, and my maternal grandparents. I think of the gentle and constant rolling hills, the family dairy farms, and the four full seasons.

Rudbeckia hirta, or Black-eyed Susan, is the State Flower in my home state of Maryland, and I remember staring at it in full blaze as we zipped past it down the highways and byways in my youth. Such a beautiful sunny coneflower, and loved by all. I have planted Rudbeckia (moreso fulgida than hirta) in many gardens in North Carolina, and it thrives in most U.S. climates.

Many poems and songs have been written about this flower. It is considered a staple in the signature designs of acclaimed architects Oehme and Van Sweden, amongst many other well-known designers. It's used for prairie restoration, erosion control and lasts 10 or more days in cut vase arrangements. Though she does not stand upright during her full bloom season in my yard (we know by now I have a lack of sun), she does continue to bloom in full with her warm yellows and spreads for me more each year. A summer perennial bed does not seem complete without this show-off, especially for this Maryland girl.

My husband and I make an annual trip to visit family in Maryland, and I am grateful that it always seems to be while the Rudbeckia are in bloom.

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