too many black eye susans

I have too many. If i cut off all the flower tops will the plants come back next year by the roots? Can I give the seeds to a friend and can see spread them over her golf coarse and will they come up next year or does she need to dig up some of my roots and plant them to get them to grow?

Doug says, Wooo, lot of questions there. Cutting off flower tops only stops seed from establishing. If the plant is an annual, then you won't have any plants next year. If it is a perennial, then the odds are you're fine (although you don't say where you live) because the mother plants will live. Some black eyed Susans are biennial so grow in year one and flower in year two and then die. You need seed to keep the new plants coming along.

Can you give to friend? Sure.
Can she spread them? Sure.
Will they come up? Don't know - depends on how she treats them and whether the seed is alive and whether she mows the area or ??? Too many variables to say yes or no. But again - annual, perennial or biennial seed? Annuals will be fine, all others will flower in second year.

Dig up roots? Again, little point transplanting annuals if the winter is going to kill them. But transplanting perennials is a great idea - she can have instant flowers next year.

Good luck with all of this.

And do understand you can thin out your black eye Susans in the spring if you have too many. Give away the extra to friends, neighbors and golf courses. :-)