Rudbeckia triloba

A must have native perennial for butterfly gardens is the heavily blooming Brown-Eyed Susan. Producing lots more flowers than the more commonly known Black-Eyed Susan, it really puts on a show in summer. Also called Three-Lobed Coneflower (hence the botanical name referring to the leaves), its common name alludes to the black centers of its flowers that fade to brown. Brown-Eyed Susan is not a long-lived perennial, but it is easy to get a few seedlings to carry on if you start with 2 or 3 plants. Drought tolerant and not eaten by deer it also has dark stems to help set off its 1-2″ golden daisies. It may need to be staked if grown in a garden with rich soil and extra moisture.