vine

TowerPower Red Black-Eyed Susan

Thunbergia alata 'TowerPower Red'

 

 
TowerPower Red Black-Eyed Susan (Thunbergia alata 'TowerPower Red') at Ron Paul Garden Centre

TowerPower Red Black-Eyed Susan flowers

TowerPower Red Black-Eyed Susan flowers

(Photo courtesy of NetPS Plant Finder)

Height:  3 feet

Spread:  12 inches

Sunlight:  full sun  partial shade 

Hardiness Zone:  8

Group/Class:  Sunny Susy Series

Brand:  Westhoff

Description:

This variety features exotic looking flowers, showcasing beautiful apricot colored blooms with a deep black eye; great for training up trellises and fences or hanging from baskets; long blooming; deadhead to encourage new growth

Ornamental Features

TowerPower Red Black-Eyed Susan features bold scarlet star-shaped flowers with black eyes along the stems from early summer to mid fall. Its serrated oval leaves remain green in colour throughout the season.

Landscape Attributes

TowerPower Red Black-Eyed Susan is an herbaceous perennial vine with a twining and trailing habit of growth. Its medium texture blends into the garden, but can always be balanced by a couple of finer or coarser plants for an effective composition.

This plant will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and can be pruned at anytime. It is a good choice for attracting butterflies to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.

TowerPower Red Black-Eyed Susan is recommended for the following landscape applications;

  • Accent
  • Hedges/Screening
  • General Garden Use
  • Container Planting
  • Hanging Baskets

Planting & Growing

TowerPower Red Black-Eyed Susan will grow to be about 3 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 12 inches. As a climbing vine, it should either be planted near a fence, trellis or other landscape structure where it can be trained to grow upwards on it, or allowed to trail off a retaining wall or slope. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 5 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen!

This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. This plant should not require much in the way of fertilizing once established, although it may appreciate a shot of general-purpose fertilizer from time to time early in the growing season. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America. It can be propagated by cuttings; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.

TowerPower Red Black-Eyed Susan is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor containers and hanging baskets. Because of its spreading habit of growth, it is ideally suited for use as a 'spiller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the edges where it can spill gracefully over the pot. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden. Be aware that in our climate, most plants cannot be expected to survive the winter if left in containers outdoors, and this plant is no exception. Contact our experts for more information on how to protect it over the winter months.

 
 
Hardiness Zone Plant Height Minimum Sunlight
Characteristics
Accent  Screening  Garden  Container  Basket 
Applications
Flowers  Attracts Wildlife 
Ornamental Features