Black eyed Susan Vine plant is long live plants that can make your garden more beautiful and attractive. It yellowish color with the dark middle eye adds more life to it. As you know it is not easy to find flower with very unique appearance which shows black eye over yellowish color.
It is very unique variety of flowering plant. The actual color at the middle is brownish and it looks black that’s why it is named black eyed Susan which is perfect indication So if you see it from far away you get to see black color, Only when you are near you can see its actual color.
Gardener and even i have seen Plant Nursery put these in hanging basket which attract more beauty to their garden. This black eyed Susan plant looks like daisy plant & this one is very easy to care. This plant blooms for many days to weeks and you can see this plant blooming in both summer and fall season.
Background information
This plants scientific or botanical name is Thunbergia alata. These plants are native to South Asia & Southern African regions like Uganda, Rwanda, malwai ,Madagascar ,Sudan, South Africa etc. These plants can also be found in Southern US states including Florida , Puerto Rico and Texas.They are also known by the name Clockvine and black-eyed Susan.
The flowing time is summer and many weeks until fall end. It is from Acanthaceae family. This vine plant can easily spread itself up to 5 to 6 feet per season and can grow 20 feet long.
Here is the link to buy black Eyed Susan Vine :
Black Eyed Susan Plant
Black eyed Susan Vine Care
Black eyed Susan vine care indoor and outdoors includes full sunlight, regular watering, fertilizing in summers and much more. Caring in black-eyed Susan(Thunbergia alata) is easy and remember to make its water requirement first because on hot sunny days it often gets dried out. Temperature needed is 65-85 degree F and Thunbergia alata is hardy to zone 9-11. You do not have to let its soil dry so that its leaves do not wither. Water should not be too much, you just have to moist its soil to 2-3 inches. Black eyed susan vine will grow perfectly with that.
Deadheading this plant if required as this plant spread more vines if you see dead stems with flower on the tip just remove them by hands or cutting tool. Pruning is important so that we can control its growth which makes this plant lives longer , eventfully increase its age. If you have young plant then take the vines and tie them around the wooden long stick which gives this plant support So that it can spread more on the stick and do not make it fall in the ground.
Good Fertilizer needed to mix in the soil so that it gets major nutrients from Plant based fertilizer.
They need more maintenance indoor as they grow big you need to shift them in outdoor location.
You want to put the plant in bigger pot when it matures. Regular Water sprinkle so that the plant gets moist.
How to grow Black eyed Susan Vine?
Black Eyed Susan Vine are very special, they need space so that they can spread their vines fully, their vines automatically climb to the nearest wall or fence.
That’s why most people care to keep it in a good container from where they can see these vines flowing to bottom. Spreading multiple vines from hanging pot makes it looks more beautiful & also when people see its vines beautifully hanging they totally love it.
To grow this plant you can use its fresh seeds which can be brought from online and offline stores or you can also grow it by cutting its stem from already matured plant. You can put its seeds in a small pot with fertile soil and grow it indoors. In about 9 to 14 days you will see some roots are developed in seeds and it will start coming upward to soil surface.
Indoor it can grow in a temperature between 20-23°C and outdoor it can grow at 16-17°C.
According to the thespruce.com, USDA the Hardiness Zones are 9 to 11. You do not have to trim these plants from the tip and this plant blooms again and again from May to June. NO deadheading required in these Black Eyed Susan Vine Plants.
These plants can grow easily with the help of its stem cutting. Stem should be cut from very bottom and about 3-4 inch, remove all the bottom leaves so that it can develop its roots again from bottom. Put this in a good soil with better draining container. this plant can adjust in cold temperature. You can grow this in spring season also. For better Look and decoration you can use another vine plant with this one , they both can join their vines that will look even brighter and colorful.
Two plant you can use with black eyed Susan vine is Russian sage or Morning Glories. Both can make your vine plant look more vibrant.
WATER
These plants(Thunbergia alata) don’t need much water but make sure the soil is moist most of time as they loved being moist.
To keep them moist you need to put mulch around the soil surface so that the roots can enjoy the moist soil and grow properly.
The roots of this plants are strong so most the time its not going to rot so don’t worry.
SOIL
Soil can be used with neutral pH value of 6.5 to 6.9 as this plant can grow in both the conditions easily. You can use Regular compost about 4-6 inches below and mix it well.
LM NOTE : Most of these plants can grow in pH value of 6.1 to 7.
SUNLIGHT
These Black Eyed Susan Vine can better grow in full sunlight but don’t make them stand in very hot climate as they can feel the need of water So better you put them in shade after they get full direct sunlight for 3-5 hours.
TEMPERATURE
These plants grows as a bunch and the USDA hardiness zone are 9,10 and 11.
These plants are resistant to most of the temperature but it doesn’t mean you put them in hot weather for 8-10 hours.
Grow these in partial or shade area ,and put them sometimes in full sun so they can grab good amount of sunlight to make food faster that way it will grow faster.
HUMIDITY
This plants enjoys the moist humidity in the atmosphere. It can peacefully grow if the soil is moist most the time.
Propagate
These are easy to propagate as you only need one stem cutting to make a new plant. Growing that indoor for 2 weeks then in outdoor so that it can spread more.
Fertilizer
Every plant(Thunbergia alata) needs fertilizer as it has some extra nutrients which plants needs. Mix a good fertilizer in every 1.5 to 2 months so that they can grow better.
These plant blooms many times in summer.
Black eyed Susan Benefits
This Black Eyed Susan Vine plant is in United States for decades.It has some benefits and uses i will clear that in next line.
According to Brandeis, this plant have the ability to Improve the human immune system and that makes it more stronger to prevent parasites Invasion and fight common FLU. According to herbpathy, It tells that the root extract of this plant can be effective in relieving pain inside ear.
- Stem can be used for those suffering from HIGH BP.
- Its Root Herbal tea can be Used in Lower Cold Symptoms.
- It is a Antidote for snake bites.
Caution : Please Contact a Plantation Expert or Ayurveda Expert or Doctor for advice before using this Remedy.
Black eyed Susan Variety
We know that black Eyed Susan plant which have yellowish flower color and in the middle it has round shape which had brown or black color, but you know it has 4 major types of variety all are different based on its color.Lets talk about its variety one by one:
Black-eyed Susan Indian Summer
These plants are not long lived ones, so that’s why they are also called short life perennial plants. The lifespan of this plant is 3-4 years. And sometimes they live for only 2 years.
The height of these plants goes up to 5 to 8 inches and sometimes the plant grows more than 8 inches. Plants are often planted in the garden area and not near house. The plant grows from the top towards the right. These plants do not like cold climate. These looks very lovely during its blooming season. They are easy is grow. You can do deadheading which is to remove the top bushy layer of flowers who are dead or may infected with pests, this will rejuvenate the fresh growth of plant .
They loved to have direct sunlight and they want good drain soil.
They have vibrant yellow color and brown center which will make your garden evenly beautiful.
Black-eyed Susan Goldsturm
The blooming season of this plants is summer which lasts till fall. They also want good drain soil like Indian summer variety. These plants bloom again and again every year.
Their lifespan is also between 2.5-4 years. Here the plant looks similar to the black-eyed Susan plant which has yellow flowers & black spot in its middle. The texture of these plants is very impressive. When these plants bloom, they automatically attract nearby butterflies. If you grow this in your garden, also it Slowly spreads up to a maximum of 14-18 inches. Its height is about 5–11 inches sometimes reaches to 12 inch.
Just like Indian Summer , you can do deadheading in this plant that leads to stable growth & repeat blooming in summer to fall.
It also does not requires much maintenance and is a naturally long lived plant.
Black eyed Susan Toto
Wherever you grow this plant , it will just attracts the near by birds and butterflies. The lifespan of this plant is for 1-2 years. It is lived for a short time, but you can see its blooming from summer to fall repeatedly.
Care is important as It grows from top vertical position same as Indian Summer and Goldsturm. The height of this plant is 4 to 12 inches and the plant can spread up to 16-18 inches. This one also loves good drained soil, in which the air can be circulate properly. This plant loves full sunlight So, you should keep it in a good area where it gets 5-8 hour sunlight. It would be best if you put it in the ground, not in the container, because this plant grows and takes lot of space.
The plant(Thunbergia alata) is known for its beauty & low maintenance. Its flower is bright golden yellow color and in the middle round it has dark brown color when matures.
Also READ : Best Time to Grow Autumn Blaze Maple Tree | Official Tree Caring Guide
Black eyed Susan Vines
This one is the 4th and last one variety. I don’t need to explain this one ,but not to confuse you i must tell you it has the same name as the Black eyed Susan plant just the vines are added to differentiate it.
It grows faster. The Method called deadheading is not required in this plant mostly but can be used if you see dead or pale flowers. This one looks beautiful when potted in hanging basket or pot. this one can Easily stay in heat for long and it blooms the whole summer season repeatedly.
Where to grow Black-Eyed Susan Vine
You can put these in ground where it gets proper sunlight of up to 7-8 hour. The USDA hardiness zone is 9 to 11 and make sure to put them indoor whenever you see temperature is below 55-60 F cold in winters.
Here is the link to buy black Eyed Susan Vine :
Black Eyed Susan Plant
Black Eyed Susan Vine Propagation
Black eyed susan vine propagation is done using 2 method. I will explain both the method below with its climate conditions. Lets now know about how to propagate black-eyed susan vine:
Seeds
You can use its fresh seeds to grow this plant. Use Small Pot and put some potting soil. Sow the seeds 1-2 inch below and Water it.
Make sure Seeds gets moisture So that you have to make sure soil doesn’t get dry. Keeping soil moist for at least 9-14 days until you see the roots developing from seeds. You can get the view when the plant stem gets to above soil.
The Best time to Sow Seeds for new plant is early spring or end of winters and if you want to see faster growth You can sow them in late spring.
Seeds can grow indoors and after plant started having leaves transfer it to Ground where it gets Good Sunlight of 4-6 hours.
Stem Cutting
You can propagate this Black Eyed Susan Vine(Thunbergia alata) by cutting its stem 3-4 inches. After that, either you put part of its lower stem in water, if the stem is 4 inches, then do not keep the water level more than 2 inches.
After that, as soon as the root develop begins to happen, then put it in the ground for further growth. But it has been seen that the plant grows well in the soil, so you can also grow its cutting directly in moist soil & don’t forgot to care for this plant whenever necessary.
Last Method: (Not a method , Plant Re-Germination)
Plant after its last bloom, their life ends, then its flowers start to die and the seeds fall out of them in the soil, it also creates a new plant automatically if you grown it in the ground. you can also take care of those seeds and re-germinate them to a separate pot.
Black Eyed Susan Vine Pruning
You can prune it whenever necessary as in Hot areas it grows more than enough and to make them in proper line you have to prune it from above. Also to keep them healthy sometimes we need to trim them to a length which makes them look good.
Also deadheading is necessary when you see pale flower that are not going to grow , in that case you have to cut those from above to keep your plant healthy. It doesn’t require heavy pruning So you can prune it lightly from tips only or just remove the dead flowers only.
Black eyed susan vine leaves turning yellow
There are many reasons why black eyed susan vine leaves turn yellow due to nutrients deficiency, early frost damage, spider mites like pests. Some more causes of yellowing leaves in black-eyed is overwatering and underwatering. You can fix the yellow leaves problem by fertilizing the plant, protecting it from the winter cold using frost blanket.
Underwatering stress might turn leaves yellow and you can easily solve it by watering every 1-2 days whenever the soil feels dry. Overwatering can damage the black-eyed susan vine roots which lead to yellow leaves, revive your plant by not pouring anymore water, let it dry and then give water. Always check the plant soil using your index finger and only pour water if it does feel dry.
The reason for Winters is mostly common in susan vines because many people get to see this problem every year just starting of the winters then the plant recovers just after frost. The best way to save your susan plant if it is not damaged then take seeds whenever the plant bloom & wither.
These are such garden growing plants very useful in fencing, garden beds, much more. In some indoor plants the humidity & transpiration can be another cause of yellow leaves.
If you want to buy seeds of black eyed susan vine- Shop Now.
Best fertilizer For Black Eyed Susan Vine
This plant(Thunbergia alata) doesn’t require fertilizer as it grows normally good. but Yes fertilizer is necessary for every plants need.
The Soil if it gets proper nutrients mixed then it can transfer it to plants so plant will be more healthy and disease free. The Best fertilizer I have used so far is :
- Miracle-Gro All Purpose Plant Food – which is made using natural ingredients.
- Indoor Plant Food – It is a Plant Fertilizer which can give soil all the nutrients it needs to grow a plant.
Pests and Diseases
Black Eyed Susan Vine plant are strong, so it does not have much problems when we talk about how much it can resist to many thing, but if you keep it indoors, then save it from the spider mites and white flies.
For that you have to take proper care of it. In the outdoor, it should get proper watering and 6-8 hours sunlight. If it effected by pests use Neem oil to prevent them for attacking your plant they can’t resist to neem oil.
Where to buy black-eyed Susan vine plants
You can buy these plant from near by nursery or easily order it online using . Below are the links you can directly check.
Bulk Package of 30 Seeds, Black-Eyed Susan – Shop from ETSY
OR
Different flower seeds of black eyed Susan – Shop Now
Conclusion:
The best thing about these plant are they are quite unique, you can put them in hanging basket which will give your house more attractive look , The easy propagation makes it grow many times, also in summer to fall you will witness its blooming again and again that’s beautiful trait.
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