Best 'Grows Anywhere'

And the winner is...

The humble Black-Eyed Susan.

While often guilty of being a thug in the garden, this delightful late summer bloomer still gets the nod for the best plant to grow just about anywhere. Full sun to deep shade. Moist to dry. It may not thrive in all those conditions, but it will usually survive and bloom.

The only condition it seems to detest is bone dry.

It does need water occasionally.

This old fashioned plant is definitely a garden staple. For the most part it is a 'plant and forget' flower. Very little additional care is needed.

Aside from pulling up all it's little wandering babies.

(That was a warning.)

If you want a plant to fill a problem spot, this might be the one.

Yes, it tends to re-seed more than most people want.

Yes, it keeps spreading.

But it also blooms with that glorious splash of color that signals the onset of fall, and transitions us from the height of summer color to the rusts and yellows of fall.

I read someone say that there are no invasive plants. Some just require a bit more work than others. This particular person was growing some very invasive plants. They just loved them anyhow and took the time to keep them 'inbounds'.

So, in spite of the spreading and re-seeding (which might be considered a bonus to some), I still give the Black-Eyed Susan the Grow Anywhere Award. You just can't beat it for it's ability to look lovely just about anywhere.

It does seem to be a bit more well behaved in shade. Same cheery yellow flowers with the dark eyes, just not as vigorous. A little bit of competition goes a long way towards taming the beast.

So find that problem spot and give Susie a try.

Just remember to add water.