5. Named After a Swedish Botanist
Have you ever wondered where Black-eyed Susan got its name? The scientific classification of the species comes from Sweden. Born in Västerås, Olaus Rudbeck was a famous botanist and professor of medicine at Uppsala University. The Black-eyed Susan garners its scientific name, “Rudbeckia,” from the Swedish scientist.
However, Rudbeck did not name the flower himself. The flower gained its initial name from the botanist Carl Linnaeus, in loving memory of Rudbeck and his son. Linnaeus studied under the tutelage of Rudbecks son, Olaus Rudbeck Jr. The Black-eyed Susan belongs to the Asteraceae family, which includes other coneflower species.
The daisy-like appearance of Black-eyed Susan comes in a variety of colors from gold, yellow, and orange. Thus, the flower also holds the moniker of “gloriosa daisy” among landscapers and gardeners. The genus of the species includes a large number of coneflowers, including the Dracopis, Echinacea, and Ratibida. Black-eyed Susan developed its widely-known pseudonym only after its initial classification.