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Black-Eyed Susan Vine
Thunbergia alata
Black-Eyed Susan Vine blooms from June through October.
Mature size, 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.
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 8.2 ft tall and 3.3 ft wide at maturity, in roughly 1 year.
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: for the middle of its range, start with zone 10 in January.
Comes in 5 colors
Same plant, same care - pick the color you are growing.
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.
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.
Sweet Potato Vine
Shares full sun and moderate water; low at 8 in, to carpet the ground beneath; both offer pollinator forage.
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; a soft color beside the orange; they only overlap in zones 10 to 11.
Basil
Shares full sun and moderate water; both offer pollinator forage; lower at 1.6 ft, for the front of the border; they only overlap in zones 10 to 11.
Agave
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter; lower at 2.6 ft, for the front of the border; 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 1.3 ft, to carpet the ground beneath; echoes the orange; they only overlap in zones 10 to 11.
Try Black-Eyed Susan Vine with its top companions in a garden →
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