Thunbergia alata

Black-eyed Susan vine

Position: full sun
Soil: well-drained soil
Flowering period: June to September
Height: 2m
Foliage: evergreen
Hardiness: tender (needs winter protection)

Thunbergia alata is a fast-growing, evergreen climbing plant with striking open saucer blooms. It comes in shades that range from orange, yellow, red, and white.

Varieties

For intense colour try Thunbergia alata ‘Orange Beauty’ with bright orange flowers with black centers and ‘Super Star Orange’ which produces very large yellow-orange flowers.

How to grow Thunbergia alata

The black-eyed Susan vine (Thunbergia alata) performs best when grown in a sunny, sheltered position against a fence in fertile, well-drained soil. You can also grow this climber in pots or in hanging baskets. The plant will need support to climb up.

Feeding

If you grow Thunbergia alata in containers, feed regularly during the growing season to stimulate new flowers. It will benefit from a well-balanced liquid fertilizer every two weeks or so.

Pruning

How to prune Thunbergia alata (the black-eyed Susan vine). You can prune Thunbergia alata during the growing season. Cut back long shoots, if necessary.

Overwinter

Thunbergia alata is a tropical perennial climbing plant, originating from Africa and Asia. So it’s not frost-hardy. It is usually grown as an annual in cold areas.

You can overwinter Thunbergia alata in a pot. Move the plant indoors once the temperatures have dropped to around 5 degrees Celsius. Overwinter at temperatures of 10-14 degrees Celsius.

Water sparingly during the winter months. In spring, when the plant starts to put on new growth, it needs more water.

Bougainvillea

Discover other lovely summer-flowering climbers such as Bougainvillea, Passiflora caerulea

Thunbergia alata