It’s November — months since Black-eyed Susans were in bloom. Only a few ragged yellow petals remain, and the brown central dome of each blossom.
But the birds like it this way. That dome, which is the seed head, holds food. Tiny seeds. The sort of thing that Pine Siskins look for.
Black-eyed Susans are native wildflowers. They are short-lived plants. Those that bloomed last summer probably won’t come back next spring. But I like to leave the stems standing because…
Favor to the bird
By November, every blossom has turned into a bird feeder, brimming with ripe, nutritious seeds. Only a tiny fraction of its seeds need to grow to keep Black-eyed Susan in the world.
But the flower makes extras because visiting birds help to disperse the seeds. The seeds are hiding down in the brown dome, but they’re easy to pluck out one by one. Especially if you happen to be a Pine Siskin, with a tiny, pointed bill.
Favor to the flower
Pine Siskins weigh half an ounce, so light they can perch on a Black-eyed Susan stem without breaking or even bending it. But when they jiggle it, they scatter some of the seeds.
In my Iowa garden, Pine Siskins don’t appear until late fall or winter, after they’ve finished nesting in more northerly areas. They don’t appear every single year, but that makes it even more rewarding to watch for them.
I'm imagining millions of tiny, streaky birds with a smidgeon of yellow in the wing waking up one morning and deciding to fly south. When they get here, they’ll find the Black-eyed Susans are ready for them.
Maybe this will be a Pine Siskin year.
Those seeds! Thanks for showing them to us. My heart always jumps with happiness when I see the flash of yellow in their wings. I am also hoping it’s a siskin year. I love watching them bickering with each other. 💛
So cool, I hope you have a wonderful Pine Siskin season! We have a patch of chicory that goes to seed, and it’s so fun to watch the American Goldfinches perch on the tall stalks and work through all the seed heads. I always think it’s good fuel for their upcoming journey :)