Blackeyed Susan Vine is a tropical twining vine native to East Africa that brings bold, sun-loving charm to any garden space. Hardy in zones 10-11 but readily grown as an annual in cooler climates, it produces showy orange-yellow flowers with distinctive dark throats throughout summer and into fall. In a single season, this vigorous grower reaches 3 to 8 feet tall, climbing readily up trellises or cascading from containers with its triangular, toothed green leaves. The flowers are salverform with five spreading petal lobes and can reach 2 inches across, creating a striking focal point whether you're growing it outdoors as an annual or overwintering it indoors in a warm space.
1
Partial Sun
Moderate
10-11
96in H x 72in W
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High
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Orange-yellow blooms with dark throats unfurl steadily from summer through fall, peaking in late summer when conditions are just right. The vine climbs to 3 to 8 feet in a single growing season, making it surprisingly vigorous for an annual, and thrives in full sun to partial shade with afternoon shade being especially beneficial. Easily grown from seed sown directly in the garden or started indoors, it adapts beautifully to both in-ground planting and container culture.
Blackeyed Susan Vine shines as an ornamental annual and ground cover, valued for its showy summer-to-fall blooms. Gardeners trellis it to create living screens and vertical interest, grow it in hanging baskets and containers for cascading effect, or allow it to sprawl as a ground cover where space permits. In frost-free zones 10-11, it can be overwintered indoors in a warm sun room for year-round enjoyment or grown as a permanent landscape vine.
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Start seed indoors 6 to 8 weeks before your average last frost date. Maintain soil temperature between 65 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit for optimal germination. Sow seeds at a depth of 1/8 inch. Transplant seedlings outside after your average last frost date has passed. Use biodegradable pots when starting seeds indoors to minimize root disturbance during transplanting.
Transplant outdoors after your average last frost date when soil temperature reaches 65 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Space plants 1 inch apart. Harden off seedlings gradually before moving them to their permanent location.
Direct sow seeds in the garden 1 to 2 weeks after your average last frost date, when soil temperature is between 65 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Sow at a depth of 1/8 inch.
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“Thunbergia alata originates from tropical regions of East Africa, where it grows as a true evergreen twining vine reaching up to 20 feet in frost-free conditions. Its journey to North American gardens reflects the Victorian fascination with tropical plants; gardeners recognized its ornamental potential and began cultivating it both as a tender perennial in mild climates and as a reliable annual vine in temperate zones. The common name Blackeyed Susan Vine likely derives from the flower's distinctive dark central throat, which resembles the dark disk of native Rudbeckia flowers colloquially known as black-eyed Susans.”