Morning Glory
These vining flowers come in a wide array of colors. Whether in a hanging basket or climbing up a trellis, these flowers will attract hummingbirds and pollinators.
|
Burpee’s Tall Mix; Candy Pink; Cardinal Climber-red; Celestial Mixed Colors; Clarke’s Heavenly Blue; Early Call Mixed; Kikyozaki Mixed; Mura Kumo |
|
Family: Ipomoea Ipomoea purpurea—Burpee’s Tall Mix; Celestial Mixed Colors; Pastel Star Mix Ipomoea tricolor—Candy Pink; Clarke’s Heavenly Blue Ipomoea sloteri—Cardinal Climber Ipomoea nil—Kikyozaki Ipomoea muricata—Mura Kumo |
|
Intermediate then Easy |
|
Intermediate |
|
3-4 years if properly stored |
|
Annual |
|
7-21 days |
|
Vine |
|
Full Sun |
|
Summer to Fall |
|
March, April and May |
|
Yes |
Morning Glory Burpee’s Tall Mix
Morning Glory Candy Pink
Morning Glory Cardnial Climber
Morning Glory Celestial mixed colors
Morning Glory Clarke’s Heavenly Blue
Morning Glory Early Call
Morning Glory Kikyozaki
Morning Glory Mura Kumo
Growing Tips
When to Start
Intermediate to start then Easy to grow
Spring: Start indoors 4-6 weeks before transplanting. (Mid-March – April 1 for Jefferson, GA)
Transplant/Direct sow: after all danger of frost has passed. (May 1 for Jefferson, GA)
How to start
Ipomoea seeds need a little preparation before they are directly sown. Since they have relatively hard seed coats, you should soak the seeds in water overnight. You can also gently nick them with a nail file before soaking them for even better results. After which, they can be sown directly in the garden after the threat of frost has passed and the soil has warmed up. To get a jump start on seedlings, start indoors 4-6 weeks before the last spring frost.
Sow to a depth ½ inch deep and thin them to about 8 – 12 inch spacing.
Care
They’re great for containers when provided with a trellis or placed in a hanging basket. They are climbers, so they might need encouragement to cascade down instead of climbing up the basket. They prefer well-draining soil that is moist, but not soggy.
Once the plants have reached about six inches or so in height, you may want to provide some type of support for the vine to twine around. Those planted in hanging baskets can simply be left to spill over the container’s edge.
Morning glories bloom from morning to evening and benefit from deadheading until you are ready for it to go to seed.
My personal experience
While my dad always called them a weed (they would get tangled up in the combine), I loved the flowers. As a child, I liked breathing them in and having the petals close around my nose! I tried them in a hanging basket as I don’t have a good place they can grow. They were pretty, but it was a constant battle to keep the vines from growing up the basket. I really wanted them to cascade down. Probably won’t do them this way again.
Seed Saving
Isolation Distance
Insect dependent for pollination. Isolate 1/4 mile to prevent cross-pollination.
Instructions
Select healthy, robust plants free of any signs of disease or insect infestation for seeds. Seeds carry the traits of the parent plant. Choose plants that exhibit the traits you wish to preserve. Consider bloom size, color, and shape, as well as blooming time.
Allow the biggest and healthiest blooms to mature on the plant. Cover the seed head with a fine-mesh bag as soon as the flower petals shrivel and die. Use an elastic band to hold the bag in place. This prevents seeds from spilling onto the soil before harvest.
Clip the flower head from the main stem once the seeds are dry and dark. Separate plant debris from the seeds by removing the mesh bag and placing the flower head in a paper bag and shaking to loosen the seeds. Seeds settle to the bottom of the bag. Remove plant debris by hand.
Features
- Attracts pollinators and hummingbirds
- Deer resistant
- Drought tolerant
- Container friendly
- Easy maintenance
- Burpee’s Tall Mix: Fast-growing vine that is filled with blooms that are purple, pink, and blue.
- Candy Pink: Vine grows to 12′ and is covered in cotton candy pink blossoms that bloom well into the day.
- Cardinal Climber: Heirloom. Descended from a single hybrid plant in 1908 that produces true-to-type seeds. Loved by pollinators and hummingbirds.
- Celestial Mixed Colors: Blooms are a deep midnight blue, lavender-blue with a darker star, and shining white with a vibrant star pattern.
- Clarke’s Heavenly Blue: Heirloom. Fast-growing vine with sky blue 4-5” blooms.
- Early Call Mixed: Flowers are sky-blue, violet, royal purple, bright pink, and deep crimson.
- Kikyozaki Mixed: Heirloom. Blooms are star-shaped and are white, purple, and pink.
- Mura Kumo: Heirloom. Purple and white striped flowers.
Deadhead to encourage more blooms.