Thunbergia alata Sunny Suzy Brownie

The Thunbergia alata 'Sunny Suzy Brownie' is a variety of Black-eyed Susan that stands out for its more modest growth and especially for the almost brown colour of its flowers, against a burnt orange background. They open, like all 'Susans', around an almost black centre that earned them this lovely nickname. Invasive perennial in its country of origin, it is an adorable annual climbing plant in our climates, appreciated for its original flowering that only ends with the first frost. Its stems, covered with lush foliage, cling to trellises on their own, allowing for the quick creation of large and decorative pots or stunning hanging baskets that can be kept in the veranda. It appreciates heat and sun, fertile, fresh, and well-drained soil.

The Thunbergia alata 'Sunny Suzy Brownie' is a fast-growing, perennial, and voluble climbing plant that only tolerates very light frosts. Its ancestor is native to the tropical regions of East Africa. It is grown as an annual in our climates. The cultivar 'Sunny Suzy Brownie' reaches an average height of 1.60m (5ft) in just a few months. Its stems wrap around their support. They are covered with lush, dark green foliage, composed of evergreen (where it is frost-free) leaves, villous, with toothed edges, in the shape of a heart or an arrow. The flowering, rather early for a Black-eyed Susan, extends from June to October. The 3-4cm (1-2in) flowers, enclosed in a villous calyx, are borne on a peduncle in the axil of the leaves. The corolla is tubular at the base and extends into five flared lobes. The color of the flowers changes with the hours, sunlight, and temperature: starting orange, they gradually darken until they become almost brown. In the center of this flower shines a beautiful eye, with a characteristic violet-black color, whose role is to attract pollinating insects.

The Sunny Suzy Brownie Black-eyed Susan is suitable for both pot and open ground cultivation, in sunny locations. A voluble climber, but lightweight, it pairs well with a perennial climbing plant like a herbaceous clematis and can also be used as ground cover. You can associate it with summer-flowering bulbs, such as gladioli: it will twist around the leaves and bloom in the most unlikely places, adding whimsy to rigid flower beds. It will also make a big impact in a large hanging basket.

Note: Please be aware that our young plug plants are professional products reserved for experienced gardeners: upon receipt, transplant and store them in a sheltered place (veranda, greenhouse, cold frame...) at a temperature above 14°C (57.2°F) for a few weeks before being planted outdoors once the risk of frost is definitively passed.