Black-eyed Susan

My first attempt at Black-eyed Susan failed — annual weed competition overwhelming slow-establishing flowers got hold of it and I didn't know what I was looking at until it was too late. I left it alone for a year before trying again. The second attempt, with proper attention to allowing plants to …

Black-eyed Susan is clearly a great plant — I can see that from other people's results. Mine has been decent but not spectacular, and I think I know why. I underestimated the importance of sowing directly into poor soil as rich soil encourages weeds in the early stages and paid for it. annual weed …

I'd had Black-eyed Susan for about eight months with acceptable but unremarkable results. Then I started really paying attention to avoiding any fertiliser which would favour grasses over flowers and the difference over the next two months was dramatic. exceptional wildlife value for bees, butterfl…

People describe Black-eyed Susan as easy and I'd push back on that slightly. allowing plants to set seed before cutting at the end of season needs consistent attention and annual weed competition overwhelming slow-establishing flowers can undermine progress quickly if ignored. Where Black-eyed Susa…

I've been growing plants seriously for over fifteen years and Black-eyed Susan remains a reliable favourite. For anyone starting out: the most critical thing is avoiding any fertiliser which would favour grasses over flowers. Everything else follows from that. annual weed competition overwhelming s…

I'm a busy person and can't give every plant the attention the books recommend. Here's what I've learned about the minimum viable care for Black-eyed Susan. scarifying or scratching the soil before sowing for seed contact is genuinely non-negotiable — skip this and the plant declines noticeably. Ev…

I've grown several varieties within the Black-eyed Susan family and have some observations to share. wide seasonal succession from spring to autumn varies noticeably between them, more than catalogue descriptions suggest. The care fundamentals are shared — allowing plants to set seed before cutting …

Here are my notes from twelve months of growing Black-eyed Susan: Spring: peak flowering from early to midsummer. This was the moment that confirmed the whole venture. I focused on scarifying or scratching the soil before sowing for seed contact during this period which set up the rest of the year.…

I planted Black-eyed Susan primarily for ornamental reasons. What I didn't anticipate was the wildlife it would attract. self-seeding and naturalising without annual replanting seems to be particularly appealing to bees and butterflies during the main growing period. I grow it in a wildlife pond ma…

Black-eyed Susan is a genuinely satisfying plant to grow, but I want to be upfront about one thing: dog walkers or trampling on unmown meadow areas. I've dealt with it twice now and it takes consistent attention to manage. Beyond that, naturalistic aesthetic that suits modern ecological gardens mak…