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Black-Eyed Susan Vine
Thunbergia alata
Black-Eyed Susan Vine blooms from June through October.
Months here are Northern Hemisphere months; in the Southern Hemisphere, shift them by six months.
Growing Black-Eyed Susan Vine
Plant it in full sun. It prefers moderate water. It is hardy in USDA zones 10–11. Expect it to reach about 8 ft tall and 3.5 ft wide at maturity, in roughly 1 year (not yet checked).
No toxicity note is on file for Black-Eyed Susan Vine. That is not a clearance: check its safety for people and pets before planting.
What was checked
Mature height and spread, hardiness zones, sun and the trait tags were checked against named botanical sources for this plant. The bloom months and water need on this page were not, and each fact above says which. The planting, spacing and size sections are derived from these checked facts by a fixed rule, not checked separately, and the plant type is the library's own classification.
When to plant Black-Eyed Susan Vine
Black-Eyed Susan Vine sits in a nearly frost-free range (zones 10 to 11): plant it in the cool season, fall through late winter, and let the mild months settle its roots. On the calendar that means October or November, or January or February. Once settled, it blooms from June to October.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar; if you garden near zone 10, the middle of this plant's hardy range, start with zone 10 in January. Derived from the plant's category, zones and bloom months plus typical zone frost dates, not checked separately.
How big does Black-Eyed Susan Vine get?
8 fttall5 ft 7 inan adult3.5 ftwideSee Black-Eyed Susan Vine in a garden plan: the planner shows it in 3D beside everything else you add, growing toward this size over the years.
How far apart to plant Black-Eyed Susan Vine
Derived from the mature spread above by a fixed rule, not checked separately: spacing is the spread, center to center.
Space Black-Eyed Susan Vine about 3.5 ft apart, center to center, so each plant has room to reach its full width.
Add Black-Eyed Susan Vine to a garden plan and the planner draws it at its full width, so you see the spacing before you buy.
Where these facts come from
Black-Eyed Susan Vine's height, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags were checked against 9 published sources on July 29, 2026. Each one is linked below with every fact it carried, which can include a fact this page still marks as not yet checked, because a source carrying a value is not the same as the value being held to the standard. Facts not in that list, and the planting, spacing and size sections, are not covered by these sources.
- NC State ExtensionPlant Toolboxheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- Fine GardeningPlant Guideheight, spread, hardiness zones and sun
- Missouri Botanical GardenPlant Finderheight, spread, hardiness zones and sun
- SANBI PlantZAfricaSouth African National Biodiversity Instituteheight, spread, sun and trait tags
- University of Wisconsin HorticultureUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension, Wisconsin Horti...height, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- Clemson Home and Garden Information CenterClemson Cooperative Extension Home & Garden Information Center, Vine S...height and sun
- Iowa State University Extensionand Outreach, Yard and Gardenheight and sun
- University of Illinois ExtensionHort Answersheight and sun
- keyserver.lucidcentral.orgWeeds of Australia, Biosecurity Queensland Edition (Lucid keyserver)height
How the checking works, and what each standard covers, is on the verified plants page.
Comes in 5 colors
Same plant, same care - pick the color you are growing.
Compare every color in the Black-Eyed Susan Vine group
Every figure is the color's own page fact. Tap a name to open it.
| Name | Color | Blooms | Hardiness | Sun | Size (H × W) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona Glow | Red | Jun–Oct | Zones 10–11 | Full sun | 8 ft × 3.5 ft |
| Arizona Rose | Pink | Jun–Oct | Zones 10–11 | Full sun | 8 ft × 3.5 ft |
| Black-Eyed Susanthis page | Orange | Jun–Oct | Zones 10–11 | Full sun | 8 ft × 3.5 ft |
| Blushing Susie | Orange | Jun–Oct | Zones 10–11 | Full sun | 8 ft × 3.5 ft |
| Bright Eyes | White | Jun–Oct | Zones 10–11 | Full sun | 8 ft × 3.5 ft |
| Lemon Star | Yellow | Jun–Oct | Zones 10–11 | Full sun | 8 ft × 3.5 ft |
Good to know about Black-Eyed Susan Vine
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note. A note reports what its source says; where that differs from a fact above, the fact above is this entry's stored value, and its mark says whether it has been checked.
Worth knowing
It climbs only by twining around a support and cannot cling to a bare wall. That same loose habit is why it trails so well from a hanging basket. per NC State
Zone limit varies by source
Sources split on the cold limit: zones 10 to 11 versus 9a to 10a. In zone 9 that decides perennial versus annual. per NC State and Wisconsin
Not a true black-eyed Susan
Despite the shared name, this tropical African vine is unrelated to Rudbeckia hirta, the true black-eyed Susan. Its flowers are orange to yellow with a dark throat. per NC State
Self-seeds; weedy in warm climates
It reseeds readily and can become weedy or invasive in frost-free, warm-winter regions, so site it carefully there. Where winters freeze, frost removes the plant and the risk. per NC State and Wisconsin
Draws bees and hummingbirds
The nectar flowers draw butterflies, bees and hummingbirds through the summer, a steady if modest food source for garden pollinators. per NC State and Wisconsin
Pests on overwintered plants
Outdoors it has no serious pests. The trouble comes on plants brought indoors to overwinter, where spider mites, whiteflies and scale take hold. per NC State
What pairs well with Black-Eyed Susan Vine
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
Pansy
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate water; opens in early spring and overlaps into this one's season; low at 8 in, to carpet the ground beneath; purple against orange, for contrast.
Lobelia
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate water; low at 8 in, to carpet the ground beneath; both offer pollinator forage; blue against orange, for contrast.
Canterbury Bells
Shares full sun and moderate water; opens in late spring and overlaps into this one's season; lower at 2.5 ft, for the front of the border; purple against orange, for contrast.
Freesia
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; low at 1.5 ft, to carpet the ground beneath; they only overlap in zone 10.
Rosemary
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in early spring, before this one opens; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter; they only overlap in zone 10.
Gardenia
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate to high water; opens in late spring and overlaps into this one's season; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter; its white flowers settle the orange; they only overlap in zones 10 to 11.
Aloe
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; opens in late spring and overlaps into this one's season; low at 1.5 ft, to carpet the ground beneath; echoes the orange; they only overlap in zones 10 to 11.
Moonflower
Shares full sun and moderate water; climbs to 13 ft behind it, height without the footprint; its white flowers settle the orange; they only overlap in zones 10 to 11.
All 8 companion pairings for Black-Eyed Susan Vine →
Try Black-Eyed Susan Vine with its top companions in a garden →
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