Thunbergia alata Bojer ex Sims

Black Eyed Susan Vine

Vine

Annual

Vascular

Black Eyed Susan Vine is an introduced twining, herbaceous, perennial in the Acanthus family (Acanthaceae). It is native to eastern Africa. In Alabama Black Eyed Susan Vine is sometimes cultivated and occasionally escapes. It occurs in waste areas, in urban woodlots, on roadsides, and along railroad tracks. Black Eyed Susan Vine is a frost-sensitive, evergreen vine reaching lengths of 15 feet. It climbs by twining on other vegetation. The stems are flattened, 4-angled, pubescent, and green in color. Leaves are opposite, petiolate, sagittate to deltoid or ovate in outline, pubescent on both surfaces, with entire, undulate, or sparsely and remotely toothed margins. The petiole is winged and the base of the leaf blade is cordate or hastate. The leaves are dark green above and lighter green below. Flowers are solitary from the leaf axils. The flowers are pedunculate with two large, leaf-like bracteoles enclosing the calyx and most or of the corolla tube. The bracteoles are partially fused along one side. The calyx is green in color and 10-13-lobed. The corolla is funnelform with five lobes. The corolla is yellow to orange or white in color with a black “eye”. The fruit is a 2-4 seeded capsule with a prominent apical beak. Black Eyed Susan Vine is a fast-growing vine cultivated for its showy flowers. It can be grown for seed or cuttings. It prefers a site with full sun and requires a trellis or other support for climbing. Black Eyed Susan Vine readily re-seeds and is considered a pest in many tropical and subtropical areas.—A. Diamond

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Not Native

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