Black-eyed Susan vine is a showy tropical tender evergreen that is best grown as an annual and replaced each year. Dispite its common name, it has no relation to black-eye Susans ( Rudbeckia hirta ) Plant in full sun with some afternoon shade, in rich, medium moisture, well-drained soils. As a twining vine, it does best with support so plant near an arbor, trellis or fence, or consider admiring its trailing habit cascading from a hanging basket. It can twine among existing plant becoming a groundcover but can be more difficult to maintain this way. It grows from seeds or stem cuttings and because it reseeds itself easily and in frost-free areas, it can be weedy. If you would like to keep the plants overwinter, plant them in containers that can be moved indoors. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No serious problems. Indoor plants can suffer from spider mites, scale, or white flies.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
High Organic Matter
Soil drainage
Good Drainage
Available space
3 feet-6 feet; 6-feet-12 feet
Mature size
Height: 3 ft. 0 in. - 8 ft. 0 in. | Width: 3 ft. 0 in. - 6 ft. 0 in.
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
6 - Vine (vertical)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Cascading; Climbing; Spreading
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Broadleaf Evergreen
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf shape
Cordate; Deltoid; Ovate
Leaf margin
Dentate
Leaf feel
Soft
Leaf size
1-3 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Soft, hairy, triangular to heart-shaped or ovate, slightly toothed leaves 3" long with winged petioles. The upper surface is dull dark greena and underneath is pale with visable veining.
Flower color
Gold/Yellow; Orange
Flower value
Long Bloom Season; Showy
Flower form
Head
Flower shape
Trumpet
Flower size
1-3 inches
Flower detail
Orange to yellow flowers with dark brown-maroon throats 1 1/2" across 5 petals. Blooms summer through fall but best blooms are when the hottest part of summer is over.
Bloom time
Fall; Spring
Fruit color
Cream/Tan
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit detail
The fruit develops inside the green bracts of the flower maturing to a tan color. and are slightly hairy. Fruits contain 2-4 semicircular, reticulate seeds.
Stem color
Green
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Tropical & S. Africa, Madagascar
Wildlife value
Butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds visit the flowers for nectar.