Do black-eyed Susan plants come back next year?
Does Black-eyed Susan come back every year? Some Black-eyed Susans come back every year, some do not. You can depend on the hardy perennial types, mostly varieties of Rudbeckia fulgida or the taller Rudbeckia laciniata, coming back year after year.
Cutting Back Black-Eyed Susan For Winter
Cut the stems down to the ground, or to the basal growth if you are gardening in the warmer hardiness zones. Alternatively, the flower stems can be left to cut back in the spring. Birds and other wildlife will feast on the seeds through the winter.
Black-Eyed Susan Vine, also known as Clock Vine, is a unique, quick-growing annual that delights with large, bright orange blooms on tall, vining foliage. Perfect for trellises and fences! Annual.
↑Life Cycle
Many sources list it as a "biennial or annual" but it does not reliably follow a predictable lifecycle the way some biennials do. It can bloom in the first year, often dying after a single season, but it can also persist for more than two years. As a perennial, it is usually short-lived.
In autumn, cut Black Eyed Susan back to about 4” tall (10 cm.) or, if you wouldn't mind a few more Black Eyed Susan plants, let the last blooms go to seed for the birds. The seed heads can also be cut and dried to propagate new plants.
If you still like the plants, and the the area around them has not changed sufficiently to discourage their growing (too much shade from other plants, for instance), you might try refreshing the bed, adding compost or other organic matter to loosen it up and improve the drainage, and then plant fresh seeds at the ...
If you pull black-eyed Susans from your garden and leave some root pieces behind, the clumps eventually produce a new plant. You can create a constant supply of new flowering plants by dividing the clumps in the fall after blooming.
If you don't cut down the seed heads, annual black-eyed Susans will reseed themselves and pop up in delightfully unexpected spots next year. Depending on the variety, perennial black-eyed Susans will thrive in USDA growing zones 3 to 9 (with most cultivars happiest in zones 4 to 7).
Black-eyed Susans will bloom longer if you deadhead them, which means cutting off spent, faded, or dried up flowers once they're past their prime. Always cut the stem back to just beyond a leaf so you don't leave dead, dried-up stems poking out.
All Black-Eyed Susans are cold-hardy and survive the winter by dying back to the ground in fall and staying dormant until spring. The flowers are not only lovely in a vase, but are great attractors of insect pollinators, butterflies, and birds.
What is the difference between black-eyed Susan and coneflower?
Size and Form
Purple coneflowers are the taller of the two, reaching heights to 5 feet and spreading up to 2 feet wide. Black-eyed Susans grow up to 3 feet tall and spread to 2 1/2 feet wide. Purple coneflowers have rigid stems that last long after the blooms have withered away and tend to self-seed.
When cut, black-eyed Susans can live in a vase for six to 10 days.

Rabbits love black eyed susan leaves.
As the flowers dry and wither, whether at the end of summer or throughout the season, you can use pruning shears to remove them. This can help prolong the plant's blooming time. Alternatively, leave the seed heads on the plants after the growing season to help Black Eyed Susans reseed.
Black-eyed Susan vines are not suitable as houseplants because they require full sun and our homes do not have enough light for them. What you can do instead is to grow your vine in a container outdoors during the summer and then bring it indoors in the fall when night time temperatures fall below 50⁰F.
Simply identify a fading flower and twist it off with your fingers. Toss the deadheaded flower back into the garden to recycle nutrients and possibly enjoy new black eyed Susan plants the following spring. Or, wait for a few flowers to go to seed before harvesting and storing the seeds for later use.
Black Eyed Susan should be divided and split every three to five years to keep plants healthy and blooming strong. If allowed to grow too thick, the roots begin to crowd one another out. Once this occurs, blooming cycles can be shorter and less intense.
too lush growth, resulting from things like over-fertilizing, too-rich soil and/on excess rain, and 4.) genetics, i.e. plants that are prone to getting too tall for their own good or developing flower heads that are too heavy for their stems to support. Six hours of sun is good but even more would be better.
Leave some dried seed heads on the plants in the fall to attract birds. After the first season, black-eyed Susans can reseed themselves. To prevent underground spread, dig up rhizomes, making certain to remove the entire piece of root. Even a small section of rhizome can produce another plant.
Can indoor black-eyed Susan vines bloom indoors in the winter? Indoor vines can flower in the winter, provided that the vines get plenty of sun and the room temperature doesn't drop below 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
What goes well with black-eyed Susans?
Companion plants for this garden favorite are almost too many to list, but a few ready and reliable choices include zinnias, globe thistle, sedum, perennial hibiscus, echinacea, joe-pye weed, and ornamental grasses. The yellow and golden colors look nice near shrubs with darker foliage, like smokebush and elderberry.
Black-eyed Susan vine is most often propagated from seed. This plant is most commonly propagated from seed (although softwood cuttings can be taken or stems layered, too, but plants grown from seed tend to be more vigorous).
Black-eyed Susans are a hardy plant that can survive being transplanted at nearly any time during the year. However, to lessen transplant shock, you should be moving your black-eyed Susans during their dormant periods, which are late fall or spring.
Place the seeds in a labeled bag and store them in the refrigerator or plant them directly in the garden in the fall. Plant black-eyed Susans in full sun to partial shade. They're not particular about soil type or fertility, although the soil must be well-draining.
Black-Eyed Susan Pruning
Once the flowering season is past, cut the remaining stalks to a height of about 2 inches above the soil. After the first fall frost, the entire plant can be cut to the soil line. During the winter season, birds feed on the seed heads. Leave a few behind to sustain the wildlife.
Although black-eyed Susan is a moderately drought-tolerant plant, the soil should never be bone dry. Water only when the top of the soil feels dry, as Black-eyed Susan is prone to rot in muddy soil. To produce long, healthy roots, provide enough water to soak the roots.
Black-Eyed Susan Spots
There are many causes, but the most common by far is the fungal disease called Septoria leaf spot, a common disease of tomatoes. The symptoms of common Rudbeckia leaf spot diseases are so similar though, that it's hard to distinguish between them without a microscope.
Black-eyed Susans usually are used in treatment of critical areas subject to erosion! This plant is incredibly winter hardy; it can tolerate temperatures as low as -30⁰F.
Although black-eyed Susans do attract hummingbirds, this particular plant is not one of their favorite sources of nectar. To ensure that the birds you attract with the vines actually spend some time in your garden, place a hummingbird feeder full of sugar solution near the vines.
- Light: All varieties of Rudbeckia will thrive in full sun. ...
- Soil: All Rudbeckias tolerate a wide range of soil types, from clay to loam. ...
- Spacing: Plant Black-Eyed Susans about 18” apart.
What birds do black-eyed Susans attract?
American Goldfinches are big fans of black-eyed Susan seeds and will adorn your garden with their own gold and black colors as they perch on the stalks picking out the tiny dark seeds. Other birds that are attracted to black-eyed Susan seeds include chickadees, Cardinals, White-breasted Nuthatches, and sparrows.
The Black-eyed Susan is the symbol of encouragement. Considering its history of adaptability when it traveled from west to east, this is obviously a plant that in its determination to survive will bloom where it's planted. And if there is one thing gardeners need, especially around mid-August, it's encouragement.
The name black-eyed Susan is an epithet of the flower's signature dark brown center, hence the “black-eyed” reference. Nevertheless, who was Susan? The legend says that the name black-eyed Susan originated from an Old English Poem written by John Gay entitled 'Sweet William's Farewell To Black-Eyed Susan'.
All Black-Eyed Susans are cold-hardy and survive the winter by dying back to the ground in fall and staying dormant until spring. The flowers are not only lovely in a vase, but are great attractors of insect pollinators, butterflies, and birds.
Black eyed Susans benefit from being deadheaded throughout the summer to promote fresh blooms. The plants can be cut back in the fall after the first frost to tidy up the garden or prevent self-sowing. Or, leave the old plants in the garden over winter to feed birds and provide shelter for wildlife.
If you don't cut down the seed heads, annual black-eyed Susans will reseed themselves and pop up in delightfully unexpected spots next year. Depending on the variety, perennial black-eyed Susans will thrive in USDA growing zones 3 to 9 (with most cultivars happiest in zones 4 to 7).
To extend the blooming season, cut some black-eyed Susan stems back by a third in early summer. The ones you cut back will bloom after the ones you didn't cut back, so you'll get to enjoy the flowers for a longer period of time.
If you pull black-eyed Susans from your garden and leave some root pieces behind, the clumps eventually produce a new plant. You can create a constant supply of new flowering plants by dividing the clumps in the fall after blooming.
Black-eyed Susans usually are used in treatment of critical areas subject to erosion! This plant is incredibly winter hardy; it can tolerate temperatures as low as -30⁰F.
Black-eyed Susans generally grow between 1 and 3 feet tall (though they can grow taller) and can spread between 12 to 18 inches, so plant seeds closer to prevent lots of spreading or plant further apart to make a nice border.
Do you cut black-eyed Susans to the ground?
Black-Eyed Susan Pruning
Once the flowering season is past, cut the remaining stalks to a height of about 2 inches above the soil. After the first fall frost, the entire plant can be cut to the soil line. During the winter season, birds feed on the seed heads. Leave a few behind to sustain the wildlife.
Black Eyed Susan should be divided and split every three to five years to keep plants healthy and blooming strong. If allowed to grow too thick, the roots begin to crowd one another out. Once this occurs, blooming cycles can be shorter and less intense.
too lush growth, resulting from things like over-fertilizing, too-rich soil and/on excess rain, and 4.) genetics, i.e. plants that are prone to getting too tall for their own good or developing flower heads that are too heavy for their stems to support. Six hours of sun is good but even more would be better.
When cut, black-eyed Susans can live in a vase for six to 10 days.
Black-eyed Susans are a hardy plant that can survive being transplanted at nearly any time during the year. However, to lessen transplant shock, you should be moving your black-eyed Susans during their dormant periods, which are late fall or spring.
Place the seeds in a labeled bag and store them in the refrigerator or plant them directly in the garden in the fall. Plant black-eyed Susans in full sun to partial shade. They're not particular about soil type or fertility, although the soil must be well-draining.