The Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) has been the official Maryland flower
since 1918 when it was designated the "Floral Emblem" of Maryland by the
General Assembly (Chapter 458, Acts of 1918; Code State Government Article,
sec. 13-305).

In his Species Plantarum (1753), the Swedish naturalist Linnaeus described and
named the flower Rudbeckia after Olav Rudbeck and his son, both professors at
the University of Uppsala, and hirta from the Latin meaning "rough hairy".

Black-Eyed Susans are perennial daisies or coneflowers, members of the
sunflower family (Asteraceae). The flower heads measure 2 to 3 inches in
diameter with yellow rays circling a dark-brown, spherical center. Commonly
found in fields and on roadsides, they bloom between May and August, reaching 2
to 3 feet in height. They are native to the United States, east of the Rocky
Mountains.