Black-eyed Susan vine
Black-eyed Susan vine: Sowing, planting and harvest calendar
Black-eyed Susan vine, Thunbergia alata, is a climber in the acanthus family, native to tropical and southern Africa. Perennial and evergreen in a suitable climate, it is frost sensitive and often grown as an annual in temperate gardens. Its name comes from the contrast between the bright corolla and dark flower throat. Its tubular flowers and twining growth distinguish it from the daisy heads of rudbeckias that also carry the name black-eyed Susan.Flexible stems wind around objects they encounter. The plant can occupy the height of a trellis or small framework, developing several metres of growth when conditions suit it. Without support, stems may cascade over the edge of a container. This creates a light, moving canopy rather than the permanent woody framework of a shrub. Its eventual bulk depends on the length of the growing season and the resources available to the plant.The leaves stand in opposite pairs. Green…
