When I was looking for a vine to plant in a container in the middle of the formal garden the head gardener saw a yellow flowered black-eyed Susan vine and had to have it. Since he has just fashioned the trellis on which it would grow, he got the final say, and I bought and started the seeds. This all happened late in the spring and I definitely would start the seeds earlier next year as the vine is not a speedy grower and took all summer to climb the trellis, and half of the summer to produce flowers. The seeds are easy to start indoors and result in numerous plants. Of course if you live in zone 8 or warmer, this vine is perennial, and if you live in zone 10 and warmer it is an evergreen vine. Perennial or annual it is a very attractive vine even before it flowers. The rich green leaves are heart shaped with toothed margins and are carried on delicate stems that climb by twining. The stem like structures holding the leaves (petioles) have two wings that give the specific botanical name, alata. Our plants bear golden yellow flowers but other varieties bear orange or white flowers with purple-brown centers. The black eyed Susan vine looks good growing on a trellis, cascading out of a container, or used as a ground cover.
Type: Tender perennial vine.
Bloom: Small white, yellow, or orange flowers are produced from summer to fall.
Size: 8’H (to 20 feet in zones 10 and warmer)
Light: Full morning sun with afternoon shade.
Soil: Average, moist, well-drained.
Fertilizer: moderate to light.
Hardiness: Zones 8-10 but grown as annual elsewhere.
Pests and Diseases: None of significance.
Propagation: Seed.
Outstanding Selections:
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‘Alba’ (white)
‘Aurantiaca’ (yellowish orange)
‘Bakeri ‘(white),
Susy series (mixed)
Karen Meyers