A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion New Members Black eyed susans

I am very much a rookie gardener. Last year I planted a mature black-eyed Susan, the bottom is green but I'm not sure what to do with the dead tops. Should I have cut them off last season?

I just let mine be......Birds like to pick at them all winter.

black eyed susans are the type of plant that grow the first year and then grow and bloom the second and then that's it. the plus with them is that they produce a lot of seeds and will 'self-seed'

by that i mean that, when the flower head dies and the seeds develop, some of the seeds will fall down to the ground and start growing the following year (and the birds will take some too). so, leaving the heads on was the right thing to do.

that new growth you are seeing is the seeds from those dead flowers from last year...they'll grow this year and then grow and bloom next year.

carefully remove the old stuff - a gentle tug is all that's needed to pull the stems up and then you'll be good to go.