Black-eyed Susan vine

Black-eyed Susan vine: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Twining climber grown as an annual, 1.5–2 m, with thin, hairy stems that wind around supports.

Leaves

Heart- to arrow-shaped, 5–8 cm, slightly toothed and softly hairy, on a winged leaf stalk.

Flower

Borne singly in the leaf axils, flat and five-lobed, 3–4 cm across, with a dark throat.

Colour

Orange, yellow, white, cream or salmon-pink, usually with a dark purple to black eye.

Fruit

A round, beaked capsule containing a few fairly large seeds.

Flowering: June–October · Sowing: March–April · Plants: May–June

Why grow it?

• Quick results: from seed it becomes a flowering screen 1.5–2 m tall in one season.
• It flowers tirelessly from June until the first cold nights, with little work.
• Cheerful, warm colours with that typical dark eye.
• Suits small spaces: in a pot, box or hanging basket on a balcony.
• It covers a bare wall, a fence or an obelisk while permanent climbers are still growing.

Black-eyed Susan vine: where does it grow best?

• Full sun and warmth, ideally against a south- or west-facing wall.
• Sheltered from wind: the thin stems and the flowers are easily damaged.
• Humus-rich, moisture-retentive but free-draining soil, acid to neutral; in a pot, ordinary potting compost.
• It needs thin supports to twine around: string, mesh, a trellis or an obelisk. It will not climb a smooth wall.
• Plant 30–40 cm apart, or one to three plants per pot or hanging basket.

Light

Sun

Soil type

Sand, loam or clay

Acidity

Acid or neutral

Moisture

Normal

Size

1.8 m tall, 0.5 m wide

Hardiness

Frost tender: plant out after the last frost (mid-May)

Goes well with

• Nasturtium: Just as cheerful and warm in colour, trailing or climbing on the same support.
• Morning glory: Blue or purple trumpets as a contrast to the orange.
• Petunia: Together in a hanging basket: the petunia fills the basket, the vine trails over it.
• French marigold: Low orange and yellow flowers at the foot of the trellis, in the same warm spot.

Black-eyed Susan vine: when and how to plant it?

Plant in May–June.

1. Sow indoors in March–April in small pots at 20–25 °C; you can soak the seed overnight in lukewarm water first.
2. Keep the seedlings in a bright, warm place and give them a small cane as soon as they start to twine.
3. Harden the plants off outdoors by day from early May and only plant out after mid-May, when nights stay mild.
4. Dig a planting hole, mix in some compost and set the plant at the same depth as in its pot, close to the support.
5. Guide the stems to the support and water in well.
6. In the open ground, add a thin layer of mulch to keep the soil cool and moist.

Care

Water

Keep the soil evenly moist. In a pot or hanging basket, water daily in warm weather.

Feeding

From June to August, a liquid feed for flowering plants every two weeks.

Training

Wind young stems around the support; after that they twine on their own.

Deadheading

Spent flowers usually drop by themselves. Remove the seed pods if you do not want seed, and it will flower more freely.

Tip: Put the support in place at planting time: with nothing to twine around, it sprawls over the ground. A hanging basket with three plants gives a cascade of flowers.

Black-eyed Susan vine: when to prune it?

When: Pruning is hardly needed. In summer you can simply shorten stems that are too long or tangled.

How:

• Cut overlong or loose stems back to just above a leaf.
• Remove dead or withered stems to keep the plant looking fresh.
• If you want to overwinter a pot indoors, cut the plant back to 30–50 cm when you bring it in.

Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Seed

Sow indoors in March–April at 20–25 °C; the seed germinates in 1–3 weeks. You can save your own: pick the capsules when they turn brown, before they split open.

Cuttings

In summer, take 8–10 cm cuttings from young shoots, remove the lower leaves and root them in moist cutting compost under plastic in a warm place.

Black-eyed Susan vine: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to 5 °C: protect in harsh winters.

• Not hardy: it cannot take frost and already suffers below about 5 °C.
• Usually you let it die after the first cold night and sow again in spring.
• A plant in a pot can be overwintered indoors in a bright spot at 10–15 °C; cut it back and water sparingly.
• Indoors, watch out for red spider mite and whitefly, which build up quickly in dry room air.

Diseases and pests

• Red spider mite: Leaves finely mottled yellow with webbing, especially in dry heat against a wall. Mist the foliage and water regularly.
• Whitefly: Small white flies rise when you touch the plant. Hang up yellow sticky traps and spray the undersides of the leaves with water.
• Aphids: On young shoot tips. Hose them off with water or wipe them away; ladybirds help.
• Few flowers: Too little sun, a cool summer or too much nitrogen. Choose the sunniest spot and use a feed for flowering plants.
• Drooping leaves: A sign of drought, especially in a hanging basket. Water at once and check every day.

Through the year

• March: Sow indoors in warmth.
• April: Sow. Give seedlings a small cane.
• May: Harden off. After mid-May, plant by a trellis or in a hanging basket.
• June: Plant out. Train the stems. First flowers. Feed every two weeks.
• July: Full flower. Water daily in warm weather.
• August: Flowering. Water and feed. Watch for spider mite.
• September: Flowering. Save seed.
• October: Last flowers. Bring indoors before frost or let it die.
• November: Clear away, or overwinter indoors somewhere cool and bright.

Did you know?

• Alata means ‘winged’ and refers to the narrow wings along the leaf stalk.
• The genus is named after the Swedish botanist Carl Peter Thunberg, a pupil of Linnaeus.
• In English a rudbeckia is also called black-eyed Susan; this climber is the ‘vine’ with the same dark eyes.