Tips and tricks for the maintenance of
Adorned with its generous and surprising flowers, the suzanne with eyes is a climbing plant that will adorn your garden all summer long. Follow our advice for successful planting and maintenance.
Summary :
- The characteristics and origins of the black-eyed suzanne
- The different varieties of black-eyed suzanne
- Planting black-eyed suzanne
- Black-Eyed Susan’s Interview
- Black-Eyed Susan Diseases and Enemies
The characteristics and origins of the black-eyed suzanne
- Type: Flowering plant
- Height: up to 5 m
- Flower color: white, yellow, orange, red
- Desired exposure: sun and partial shade
- Type of soil: sandy, humus
- Foliage: evergreen
- Maintenance: easy
- Sanitizer: no
- Diseases and pests: powdery mildew, mealybugs, spider mites, whiteflies
- Varieties: Thunbergia erecta, Thunbergia grandiflora, Thunbergia mysorensis, Thunbergia battiscombei
The black-eyed suzanne bears the Latin name of Thunbergia alata . She is also nicknamed “Eye of Suzanne” . This plant is originally native to regions of East Africa , but today it also occurs naturally in countries as diverse as Australia, Brazil, the southern United States and Hawaii . . It is a climbing plant that can be invasive . In our latitudes, the black-eyed suzanne is the subject of an annual culture because of its lack of hardiness. Thunbergia, as it is also called, which will allow it to be anchored on all types of supports. Rapidly growing , it quickly ends up forming a kind of mass made up of its many stems. The latter are covered with fluffy, serrated green leaves . In its natural environment, the black-eyed suzanne can reach an impressive height of 5 meters . This plant owes its success to its abundant flowering , from spring to early autumn , which takes on the appearance of funnel-shaped flowers whose colors vary from white to red, passing through orange or yellow. But what characterizes it is the black circle that adorns the heart of each flower , similar to an eye, hence its nickname.
The different varieties of black-eyed suzanne
Some of the more notable black-eyed susanne varieties include:
Thunbergia erecta: This variety takes the form of a very leafy tree adorned with sweetly scented blue and yellow flowers throughout the summer.
Thunbergia grandiflora: This specimen straight from India can measure up to 12 meters . It is distinguished by its lilac-blue flowering and its flowers in clusters that can reach 8 cm in diameter.
Thunbergia mysorensis: The main distinction of this species lies in its flowers which are in the form of long orange and yellow clusters that can reach 60 cm.
Thunbergia battiscombei: Similar to a bush, this black-eyed suzanne adorns itself, throughout the summer and until autumn, with flowers whose color oscillates between blue and purple and with a golden heart .
Planting black-eyed suzanne
Black-eyed Susan must be planted in a location where it can enjoy at least 2 hours of sun per day , sheltered from the wind . The soil should be well – drained but also contain plenty of organic matter . Prepare the plants by planting the seeds without burying them too deeply and watering lightly. A period of about 4 weeks is necessary for germination . When the plants measure about fifteen centimeters , it’s time to transplant them into buckets. Place them in a place where they will be sheltered. Wait until the frost period is definitely over to plant the plants in the ground, in a pot or in a planter. If you are planting several Black-Eyed Susan plants, space them 30 cm apart . In either case, don’t forget to add a stake or support to which the plant can cling
Black-Eyed Susan’s Interview
Black-eyed Susan is easy to care for . However, it should be watered regularly as soon as the temperatures are high. You can add a mulch to the base of the plant to ensure a very fresh soil . When planting in pots , ensure that the substrate always remains slightly moist and add fertilizer for flowering plants every other week .
Also remember to remove the flowers as they fade.
Black-Eyed Susan Diseases and Enemies
Black-eyed Susan will not react the same way depending on the environment in which it is planted.
While it knows neither enemies nor diseases in the open ground , planted in pots and placed indoors , its foliage can be victim of powdery mildew by excess watering.
Placed in a greenhouse , it can be subject to invasions of mealybugs , small white flies called whiteflies or red spider mites .