White Black-Eyed Susan Vine Seeds – Thunbergia alata

White Flowers with Dramatic Dark Centers

White Black-Eyed Susan Vine (Thunbergia alata), also known as clock vine, brings a fresh contrast to sunny garden spaces. White petals surround a bold dark eye, creating a distinctive display on a trellis, in a window box, or spilling from a hanging basket.

Train the vines up a light support beside your patio or let them trail over a container edge. With flowers from summer into fall, this climbing plant adds vertical interest without needing a large garden bed.

Plant Highlights

• Flower color: White petals with dark centers.
• Botanical name: Thunbergia alata.
• Common names: Black-Eyed Susan vine and clock vine.
• Approximate height: 60–84 inches when supported; growth varies with conditions.
• Bloom season: Summer through fall, until frost.
• Light: Full sun.
• Soil: Average to loamy, well-drained soil; listed pH range 6.1–7.8.
• Growing habit: Grown as an annual where winters are cold; may grow as a perennial in frost-free conditions.

Choose Your Seed Pack

Select 10, 25, or 100 seeds from the product options. This listing is for planting seeds, not live plants. Black-Eyed Susan vine is a climbing Thunbergia, not the upright Rudbeckia commonly sold under a similar name.

Starting from Seed

• Prepare seeds: Soak overnight in tepid water before sowing.
• Start indoors: Sow 6–8 weeks before your planned outdoor planting date.
• Direct sow: Plant outdoors after the last frost in a prepared seed bed.
• Sowing depth: Cover seeds approximately 1/4 inch deep. Darkness supports germination.
• Temperature: Maintain approximately 75–80°F.
• Moisture: Keep the growing mix consistently moist, not waterlogged, until germination.
• Germination: Allow approximately 14–21 days under suitable conditions.
• Sowing rate: Sow up to 3 seeds per planting position, then thin as needed.

Planting and Trellis Care

Space plants approximately 8–12 inches apart and place seedlings about 3 inches from their support. Netting, strings, or a light trellis give the vines something to climb. Solid fences, mailbox posts, and columns need added trellis material rather than a smooth surface alone. Pinch young growing tips to encourage branching.

Growing in Containers and Hanging Baskets

• Choose good drainage: Use a pot, window box, or hanging basket with drainage holes and room for roots to develop.
• Use potting mix: Fill with a well-draining container mix rather than heavy garden soil.
• Choose a sunny position: Provide full sun and protect young plants from frost.
• Train or trail: Add a light support for climbing growth, or allow vines to cascade from a basket or container edge.
• Check moisture regularly: Water as the surface begins to dry and allow excess water to drain. Hanging baskets may dry more quickly in hot or windy weather.
• Encourage fullness: Pinch young tips to promote branching and guide climbing shoots toward their support.
• Feed as needed: Follow label directions for a fertilizer suitable for flowering container plants.

Seasonal Care

In cold-winter climates, enjoy this vine as a seasonal annual. A container-grown plant may be brought indoors before frost and kept in a bright, sunny window, though indoor growth depends on light and conditions. Protect from freezing temperatures rather than assuming perennial winter hardiness.