House of Hawthornes

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Black-Eyed Susan Vine aka Heaven On Earth

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How To Grow Black-eyed Susan Vine

I am on a one woman quest to make the Black-eyed Susan vine (Thunbergia alata) as popular as the super-needy impatiens or the mundane marigolds.

Are you with me?

Black-eyed Susan vine - you must plant one of these in your garden this year - it's the vine that keeps going strong all summer long

They. Are. Gorgeous. Period.

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Black-eyed Susan vine - you must plant one of these in your garden this year - it's the vine that keeps going strong all summer long

Nothing more to say about them except they are non-invasive and grow like weeds. Polite weeds that stay within their bounds.

They don’t run all over the place like some “loose” vines trying to spread their demon seed across the universe. Nope, they are just happy to bloom where they are planted.

Black-eyed Susan vine - you must plant one of these in your garden this year - it's the vine that keeps going strong all summer long

Seriously, if you’ve never tried one of these you are missing out.

Black-eyed Susan vine - you must plant one of these in your garden this year - it's the vine that keeps going strong all summer long

How To Grow Black-Eyed Susan Vine:

  • Hardy in USDA Hardiness Zones 10-12 (for example, southern Florida, Hawaii, etc)
  • Grown as a annual in cooler hardiness zones (I grow mine as an annual in Ohio)
  • Prefers full sun with light afternoon shade
  • Water regularly (if grown in a hanging basket do not let the pot dry out)
  • A trellis or stake will be needed, because they sort of go nuts
  • Can be grown from seed by starting indoors 6-8 weeks prior to last frost date or sow outside when soil temps rise above 60 degrees – plants normally emerge 10-14 days after planting

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Where To Buy Black-Eyed Susan Vine Seeds:

I get quite a few people emailing me about where they can buy Black-eyed Susan vines. I buy mine locally, but considering you all don’t live right around the block from me, I did find Black-eyed Susan vine seeds for sale online HERE.

And I located a similar wooden trellis HERE or a white PVC coated trellis HERE.

Black-Eyed Susan Vine not blooming?

Black-eyed Susan vine does go through a period in the dead of summer heat (late-July and August) when it tends to slow down on producing blooms. As soon as cooler weather starts back up again in September it should start to bloom again in force.

Other than that, make sure your plant is in full sun, you are watering it sufficiently and you are not over-fertilizing it. Too much nitrogen can cause plants to produce more foliage and less blooms.

How many Black-eyed Susan vines do you put in a planter?

  • In your average sized hanging basket (10-12″) you would plant 2-3 single plants.
  • In larger urns you would plant 4-5 depending on the size of your container.
  • I always err on the side of the more the merrier, but when you have trouble finding the urn under all those gorgeous yellow blooms come July . . .

Companion Plants For Black Eyed Susan Vine:

Any low growing purple or dark blue plant looks AMAZING with the yellow Black-eyed Susan vines, such as Salvia, a purple Veronica (Speedwell) variety such as Royal Candles Speedwell or a purple African Daisy (Osteospermum).

Victoria Blue Salvia planted as a companion plant alongside Black-eyed Susan vine

This year I planted Victoria Blue salvia (an annual in these parts) at the bottom on the trellis.

You can also grow another vine along with it such as purple hyacinth bean vine or morning glories if you’d like the color to intertwine all the way up the trellis (or down the hanging basket if you go that way).

Black-eyed Susan vine - you must plant one of these in your garden this year - it's the vine that keeps going strong all summer long


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Creative garden containers

Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. They are beautiful. Good luck with Max being at camp. Probably good for both of you if you can try not to worry. I am sure I would as well.

  3. I know exactly what you mean. I have my first Black Eyed Susan vine this year too and so in love with it. She’s doing well especially since I have a “brown” thumb. I will post my too although she’s not as full as yours.

  6. Oh I need one of those! I’ve never seen them around here though. Maybe Michigan Bulb would have them. So pretty.

    Try to enjoy your time with your son at camp. I understand it’s hard though – we just took WeeMan to mom’s for the week. Logically I know he’s perfectly safe but the mom in me still worries. I’m sure you worry more though with your son’s health issues. I’ll be thinking of you this week.

  7. This is the first year I haven’t planted a black-eyed Susan vine (I haven’t planted much of anything this year). They grow well in northern MN, too, and add a nice pop of cheery color to my burgundy fence. Yours looks so healthy I wish I could transplant it to my yard!

    I hope everything goes well with your son’s camp visit and you’re able to relax when he’s gone.

  8. @Linda – I buy mine at a local garden center. They are always hard to find though and I’m guessing because they aren’t that popular YET. You can grow them from seeds too though.

  11. I love these but we have too much shade to grow them…someday I will have a sunny garden! Yours are just beautiful!

  13. Wow- That vine is amazing. I didn’t realize they would thrive like that! Good job. Good luck with your son going off to camp-I remember how hard it was for you last year. Enjoy your time away, Pam. xo Diana

  14. I tried to grow this in a pot years ago, but it quickly died. I live in Central Texas and the summers get very hot here. Perhaps it got too much sun on my patio. Sometimes plants that are known for being heat tolerant have no tolerance for our Texas heat. Then again, I think that I have the black thumb of death.

    Briana from Texas

  15. Those flowers look so pretty! They are a happy little flower. I need some.

    I understand how you feel but please don’t have a breakdown. Max will be fine. Us Mom’s think we are the only ones who can care for our precious children but truth is there are other people who can do it too. Not as well as we do though (of course). Enjoy your free time!

  17. That vine is so pretty and well, cheerful!! I hope all goes well with you and your son as he heads off to camp 🙂

  19. Wow I’ve never seen one as pretty as yours. I love it growing up the trellis. We tried them one year but they just didn’t seem to grow here very well.

  20. I have one on my porch…it’s orange. I have it in a big planter and it’s growing up and up …almost to the ceiling now. I enjoy it on the porch very much but was thinking that I’ll probably have to transplant it ..I have a post or two about mine on my blog..I just love it! 🙂 Having seen yours in the ground I know that if I transplant it should do well! 🙂

  24. Love Black Eyed Susan vines!! Yours are gorgeous!! I have some growing around my tree out front and in some planters in the backyard. They are such a pretty hardy vine! Have a great day, Lori

  25. It’s winter NOW, but I am SO READY for Spring! I love these, too. I planted them in a container with BLUE pansies, PINK geranium and BLUE lobelia. The bright color mix was great.

  26. It’s winter NOW, but I am SO READY for Spring! I love these, too. I planted them in a container with BLUE pansies, PINK geranium and BLUE lobelia. The bright color mix was great.

  27. I planted my first one this last summer… and it took over the picket fence!!!
    I was sad to learn that it would not be coming back though after winter!
    Which means I have to buy another… I feel that they are a bit pricy!!!!

  28. Love! I usually grow morning glories on my garage wall, but they can be invasive…I have to keep a stern eye on them! I might give these a go this year instead!

  29. I adore these, are they annual? I have the perfect spot picked out I hope they grow here in Canada! Got some research to do! 🙂 Thanks for sharing these, truly love them.

  30. I tried my firstvvine last year. It took forever to flower. I thought this vine was a perrenial. But it must be an annual (I am in zone 8). So I started seeds again this year, and I have a tiny vine started in my garden.

  31. I planted my first Black Eyed Susan late last year; it’s been really successful…and still flowering as we’ve headed into Autumn. After i collected the seeds from Sweet Peas last year, i replaced one of the beds with the BES and i’m so glad i did. I’ll only plant one area with Sweet Peas next Spring, but it’s worth it!

  33. I bought one this year at our local nursery to grow around my bottle tree. It’s the best blooming thing I’ve ever seen.

    • They really do just take off don’t they 🙂 The one I bought this year is half bright yellow and half orange and I’m kind of liking the variety of it.

  34. Do Susan’s grow in sFL? do you start from seeds, or seedlings? I haven’t seen them down here.
    I’ve never seen them down here.

  35. I’m new to the gardening and home decor world, and this flower looks lovely!So do you grow BES FROM SEEDS OR FROM BULBS?And can you explain how a plant can be both non-invasive and grow like a weed?
    Polly

  36. In the East bay in California this vine grows well and makes it through the winter for another summer.

  37. Bought a bottle tree, added blue bottles. Planted one Black-eyed Susan vine to grow up the tree. Thought I may need another. It grew up the tree and fully covered the bench next to it. It was beautiful and bloomed until the frost got it. So glad I didn’t buy another. I’ve got two starts growing indoors for next spring. Hope they make it!!!

    • Don’t know where you live,Im in sacramento.I thaught i lost mine due to frost 1st year,wasnt pretty!,..but came back! I now cover with old school x-mas lights during freeze,works well,Also,..KEEP HER MOIST! If she is dry,frost will take her!Dont pull it up,..she will come back! trust me.

  38. Ive had mine for 4 years now.LOVE IT!
    2 words of advice,requires partail shade,just like a shade loving plant,..will fry in hot sun.
    Use chicken wire,not a trellis,they love to cling,will do better w chicken wire.
    I purchases in Santa Cruz,I was worried it wouldnt survive sacramento heat,but does well!
    I found seeds,trying my hand at planting from scatch!

  40. I have never heard of Black-Eyed-Susan vine until just recently, & apparently, it doesn’t grow here in zone 7 (Alabama.) It is pretty & looks a little different than Black-Eyed Susan wildflowers that are native here. I wouldn’t mind having some to try out.

    Have you ever heard of Grape Hyacinth vine? It’s a pretty purple climber with pea pods that are edible, and pretty purple blooms. I think I’ll do a blog post about it sometime, but I don’t have it in my yard this year.

  41. The Black Eyed Susan Vine is gorgeous! It grows really fast and it is a great wall covering – looks absolutely fabulous! The only problem is that it tends to be a bit too invasive but you can avoid this if you take care of it well.

    Regards,
    Adelyn Taylor
    Fast Landscape Gardening

  42. I planted one in a planter this year. I bought it from a nursery in a 4″ pot. It looked healthy and had two or three blooms on it then. Since we reported it here, it has grown some, and has not bloomed again. We moved the pot to a somewhat sunnier spot today. Can you give me any tips about what to do for it? Thanks!

    • They do like their sun. Are you fertilizing it? Sometimes if they’re getting too much fertilizer (too much Nitrogen) they tend to grow leaves and not flowers. So if you’re fertilizing it I’d cut way back on that for a few weeks and see if that’s the problem.

  44. I live in Sydney Australia and these come up all over my garden. They can become invasive but at least they are easy to pull out. They are very pretty.

  45. Hi. Can you tell me how you anchor your trellis? I am trying to figure out where to put it and how to keep it up.
    Last year I put it in a pot but the wind kept blowing it over and I almost lost my flowers and pot.

    • That trellis is wired to tent stakes to give it extra support. I tried to just dig it down into the ground and that lasted about a week before it blew over 🙂 So then I wired some tent stakes to the bottom of the trellis (I overlapped the wood and the tent stakes about four inches and then wrapped wire around them both) and then pounded the tent stakes into the ground. It’s not moved since and it’s been there probably 5 years now.

  46. Hi, I bought recently. I want to build a trellis for it. What is the height you recommend for this plant? Thank you. It is indeed beautiful to look at first thing when we walk outside in the morning.

    • Mine is 5 foot tall. By the end of the summer it has climbed up and back down again so you can barely see the trellis anymore 🙂 You could go taller if you want it to keep climbing, but I sort of like the full look of it.

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