The Black Eyed Susan Vine (Spanish Eyes Blend), ‘Thunbergia alata’, is a vigorous vine with sunset colored, dark eyed flowers. The Spanish Eyes Blend is a very fast growing vine with a unique blend of warm colors which contrast brilliantly with the dark “Spanish” eyes.
Characteristics of Black eyed Susan Vine
- The flowers are between 1 and 2 inches wide on a 5 to 10 foot vine. – They bloom reliably from early summer through late summer.
- It is a twining perennial vine that can be grown as an annual in zone 7.
- They are a great plant for hanging baskets or for trellises.
- They are fast growers and bloom quickly from seed. They are native to tropical Africa.
- They are excellent in window boxes and hanging baskets.
Growing conditions for Black eyed Susan Vine
- The Spanish Eye Blend prefers full sun but will tolerate light shade.
- They like rich, moist, well drained soils.
- Plant them near a trellis or fence, as Black Eyed Susan climb by twining.
- Seed the plants after all danger of frost has passed.
- The Black Eyed Susan vine can be grown as a quick screen and as a colorful ground cover.
- They need minimum temperatures of 60 degrees at night.
- In the greenhouse, we use a soil mix consisting of 2 parts peat moss to 2 parts loam to 1 part sand or perlite.
- – They are propagated by cuttings or by seed. Plants grown from seed are more vigorous than those from cuttings.
Uses
Infinite uses – window boxes, ground cover, on a trellis as a screen, in hanging baskets. Very fast growing vine has vibrant orange, yellow and white flowers which contrast brilliantly with the solid black ‘eyes.’
Care
- The plants are not very drought tolerant and should be watered regularly for optimum growth.
- Fertilize every other week with a balanced fertilizer diluted to ½ the strength recommended on the label.
- Occasional trimming helps keep the plant growing vigorously and helps to promote more blooms.
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