Black-eyed Susans are bold, beautiful, and surprisingly easygoing—but not every plant makes a good neighbor. To get the most out of your flower beds, pairing these golden bloomers with the right companions is key.
In this guide, you’ll discover 13 plants that thrive alongside Black-eyed Susans, adding color, structure, and pollinator power—plus 5 that clash, crowd, or compete in all the wrong ways.
1. Purple Coneflower (Echinacea)
Purple coneflower creates a stunning color contrast when planted alongside black-eyed Susans. Their similar growing requirements make them natural partners, both enjoying full sun and tolerating drought once established.
The purple-pink blooms dancing above the golden yellow Susans create a wildflower meadow effect that attracts butterflies and bees in droves. Both plants are native prairie flowers, making them ecologically compatible companions that support local pollinators.
2. Russian Sage
Tall spires of lavender-blue Russian sage create a dreamy backdrop for golden black-eyed Susans. The wispy, airy texture of Russian sage provides the perfect contrast to the bold daisy-like flowers. Both plants thrive in similar conditions—full sun and well-drained soil—making them low-maintenance garden partners.
The silver-gray foliage of Russian sage also complements the deep green leaves of black-eyed Susans, adding interesting texture even when flowers aren’t blooming.
3. Bee Balm (Monarda)
Bee balm’s shaggy, crown-like flowers in shades of red, pink, or purple create a vibrant partnership with black-eyed Susans. Both native wildflowers attract important pollinators to your garden, turning your flower bed into a buzzing wildlife haven.
Growing to similar heights, these plants share space beautifully without overshadowing each other. Their bloom times often overlap in midsummer, creating weeks of colorful garden displays. As a bonus, bee balm’s aromatic foliage naturally repels certain garden pests that might otherwise bother your Susans.
4. Salvia
Salvia’s spiky blue-purple flower stalks provide a gorgeous vertical element next to the rounded blooms of black-eyed Susans. The contrasting flower shapes and complementary colors create a garden vignette that catches the eye from any angle.
Hardy and drought-resistant, salvias share black-eyed Susans’ low-maintenance nature. Hummingbirds flock to salvia while butterflies prefer the Susans, creating a diverse wildlife habitat. Many salvia varieties bloom from early summer until frost, providing long-lasting color alongside your black-eyed Susans.
5. Ornamental Grasses
Feathery ornamental grasses like fountain grass or switchgrass create a magical effect when planted with black-eyed Susans. Their graceful, swaying movements in the breeze add dynamic energy to the garden while the Susans provide solid blocks of color. Most ornamental grasses peak in late summer and fall, extending the garden’s visual interest after black-eyed Susans begin to fade.
The textural contrast between grass plumes and daisy-like flowers creates depth and dimension in garden designs. In winter, dried grass stalks add structure while providing shelter for beneficial insects.
6. Yarrow
Yarrow’s flat-topped flower clusters in white, yellow, or pink create a beautiful layered effect with black-eyed Susans. Their fern-like foliage adds delicate texture that complements the Susans’ broader leaves. Both plants are drought-tolerant warriors, making them perfect partners in hot, dry gardens.
Yarrow actually improves soil health by accumulating nutrients, indirectly benefiting nearby black-eyed Susans. As a medicinal herb, yarrow adds functionality to your ornamental garden while attracting beneficial insects that help control garden pests.
7. Shasta Daisies
Shasta daisies’ crisp white flowers create a classic pairing with golden black-eyed Susans. The similar flower shapes but contrasting colors make for a cheerful, eye-catching combination that’s greater than the sum of its parts.
Both plants bloom abundantly in midsummer, creating weeks of reliable color. Their similar heights and growing requirements make them natural garden companions. For a coordinated look, plant them in drifts or waves rather than mixing them completely—this showcases each plant while creating a cohesive garden design.
8. Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa)
Butterfly weed’s clusters of bright orange flowers create a striking hot-color combination with yellow black-eyed Susans. As a native wildflower, it shares the Susans’ adaptability to different soil conditions and drought tolerance. True to its name, butterfly weed attracts monarch butterflies and other pollinators that will also visit your black-eyed Susans.
The contrasting flower shapes—flat clusters versus daisy-like blooms—add visual interest to the garden. Both plants have similar height and bloom times, creating a coordinated display that looks naturally beautiful.
9. Coreopsis
Coreopsis varieties like ‘Moonbeam’ with their pale yellow flowers create a beautiful color gradient when planted with deeper yellow black-eyed Susans. These perky daisy-like flowers share the same cheerful personality in the garden. Both plants are easy-care perennials that tolerate poor soil and drought conditions.
Deadheading spent flowers on both plants encourages continuous blooming throughout summer. For a designer look, combine thread-leaf coreopsis varieties with black-eyed Susans to create interesting textural contrasts between fine and bold foliage.
10. Blazing Star (Liatris)
Blazing star sends up tall purple spikes that create dramatic vertical accents among rounded black-eyed Susans. The contrast in flower shapes makes both plants stand out more dramatically in the garden. As native prairie plants, they share the same growing conditions and support local ecosystems.
Butterflies and bees busily work both plants, creating a lively garden scene. The blooming sequence is perfect—blazing star often begins flowering just as black-eyed Susans reach their peak, extending the garden’s colorful display.
11. Joe-Pye Weed
Towering Joe-Pye weed with its mauve-pink flower clusters creates a magnificent backdrop for medium-height black-eyed Susans. Growing naturally together in meadows, these native plants have a long history as companions.
Joe-Pye weed’s later bloom time extends the garden show after black-eyed Susans begin to fade. The plants’ different heights create a layered effect that mimics natural plant communities. Both attract butterflies and beneficial insects, supporting biodiversity in your garden while creating a beautiful display.
12. Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’
Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ extends the garden season with its late-summer pink flower heads that mature to rusty red, perfectly complementing black-eyed Susans. Its succulent foliage provides interesting textural contrast to the Susans’ typical leaves. Both plants thrive in the same well-drained soil and full sun conditions.
As black-eyed Susans begin to fade, sedum reaches its peak, ensuring continuous garden interest. The seed heads of both plants persist through winter, adding structural elements to the winter garden and providing food for birds.
13. Goldenrod
Contrary to popular belief, goldenrod doesn’t cause allergies and makes a fantastic companion for black-eyed Susans. The different shades of yellow create a rich, monochromatic garden scheme that glows in late summer sunlight. Both native wildflowers support local ecosystems and attract beneficial insects. Goldenrod typically blooms slightly later than black-eyed Susans, extending the yellow display in your garden. The different flower forms—plumes versus daisy-like blooms—create textural interest while maintaining color harmony.
14. Avoid: Aggressive Mint Family Members
Members of the mint family like peppermint and spearmint might seem like good companions, but their aggressive spreading habits can quickly overwhelm black-eyed Susans. These mints send out underground runners that infiltrate nearby plant root systems.
While both plants enjoy similar sun conditions, the competition for soil resources is uneven. If you love both plants, keep mint contained in pots or use physical barriers that extend at least 12 inches into the soil. Better alternatives include less aggressive mint relatives like bee balm or catmint that offer similar benefits without the invasive tendencies.
15. Avoid: Tall, Dense Shade Plants
Plants that create dense shade like hostas or large-leaved ligularia make poor companions for sun-loving black-eyed Susans. These shade-lovers may initially coexist, but as they mature, they’ll create too much shadow for the Susans to thrive. Black-eyed Susans need at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight to produce abundant blooms.
When planted near shade-creating plants, they stretch awkwardly toward light sources and produce fewer flowers. The different water requirements also create problems—shade plants often need more moisture than drought-tolerant black-eyed Susans prefer.
16. Avoid: Thirsty Annuals
Water-hungry annuals like impatiens or begonias create challenging growing conditions when planted with drought-tolerant black-eyed Susans. These mismatched water needs lead to either overwatered Susans (causing root rot) or dehydrated annuals. The frequent watering needed by thirsty annuals can weaken black-eyed Susans and make them more susceptible to fungal diseases.
The different soil preferences compound the problem—many annuals prefer rich, consistently moist soil while black-eyed Susans thrive in leaner, well-drained conditions. Instead, pair Susans with equally drought-tolerant plants for a more harmonious garden.
17. Avoid: Invasive Non-Native Grasses
Aggressive non-native grasses like ribbon grass or Japanese blood grass quickly outcompete black-eyed Susans for resources. Their vigorous root systems infiltrate and overwhelm neighboring plants, eventually creating monoculture patches in your garden. While ornamental grasses can be good companions, choose native species with controlled growth habits instead.
These invasive grasses spread through underground rhizomes that are nearly impossible to fully remove once established. The dense root mats they create prevent black-eyed Susans from accessing nutrients and water, leading to stunted growth and fewer flowers.
18. Avoid: Plants with Opposite Soil Needs
Acid-loving plants like azaleas, rhododendrons, and blueberries make poor neighbors for black-eyed Susans, which prefer neutral to slightly alkaline soil. This fundamental mismatch in growing conditions means one plant will always struggle. The soil amendments needed for acid-lovers (like pine needles or sulfur) create conditions that stress black-eyed Susans.
Similarly, the lime sometimes used to raise soil pH for Susans can harm acid-preferring plants. Garden harmony comes from grouping plants with similar soil preferences—stick to neutral-to-alkaline lovers like coneflowers and salvias as Susan companions.