How to Grow and Care for Morning Glory

The common morning glory is often the first flowering vine that gardeners become familiar with.These fast-growing vines are in the same botanical family as sweet potatoes, althoughthey don't produce edible tubers.

The brightly colored trumpet-shaped flowers of the common morning glory have a slight fragrance and are popular with butterflies and hummingbirds. The buds are twirled up tightly and unfold when the sun hits them in the morning, giving them their unique name.

Native to Mexico and Central America, common morning glory flower vines grow by clinging to nearby supports with tendrils, rapidly growing up to 12 feet or more during the season. Note that morning glory species are toxic to people and pets.

Common Name	Morning glory, common morning glory
Botanical Name	Ipomoea purpurea
Family	Convolvulaceae
Plant Type	Perennial, annual
Mature Size	6–10 ft. tall, 3–6 ft. wide
Sun Exposure	Full
Soil Type	Moist, well-drained
Soil pH	Neutral, acidic
Bloom Time	Summer, fall
Flower Color	Purple, pink, blue, white
Hardiness Zones	2–11 (USDA)
Native Area	North America
Toxicity	Toxic to people, pets

Morning Glory Care

The common morning glory is a favorite of gardeners everywhere for a good reason. The eye-catching vines are very low maintenance—they can be easily started from seed in early spring, and you don't need to prune or deadhead them as they grow.

Have a trellis or other support in place wherever you plant your seeds, and the vines will soon find the support and train themselves to grow on it.

With regular watering, morning glories can start blooming by mid-summer, but many times they are slow to begin setting flowers, earning them the nickname "back to school vine." You can try sowing the seeds even earlier in the spring by scattering them on the frozen ground and even on snow.

Light

Planting your morning glory in a spot that gets full sun is especially important. The flowers will only open when they are in direct sunlight, so daily exposure to full sun (at least six to eight hours a day) will give you the longest amount of bloom time.

If they are in a spot that doesn't get sun until the afternoon, don't expect "morning" glories.

Soil

Morning glories do best in soil that is moist but well-draining. A neutral soil pH of 6.0 to 6.8 is best, but morning glories will grow just about anywhere.

However, they do bloom better in soil that is not too rich in organic matter. You can always amend the soil later if the vines look like they are struggling.

Water

Provide your morning glories with regular water, about one inch per week, and mulch around the roots to retain moisture. The biggest moisture needs come during the plant's growing period.

Once established (and in the winter, if your zone is warm enough to grow the plant as an annual), you can slow your watering cadence.

Temperature and Humidity

Morning glories easily tolerate both cold and warm temperatures; they are hardy and can even make it through the first frost and continue to bloom.

They are grown as annuals in areas where the temperature drops below 45 degrees Fahrenheit and can be perennials in tropical and subtropical climates. They have no special humidity needs.

Fertilizer

Feed your morning glories with a low-nitrogen fertilizer every four to five weeks throughout their growing period. If you notice a lack of blooms, you can try a fertilizer blend that is high in phosphorous.

Types of Morning Glory

In addition to cultivars of the common morning glory, there are other Ipomea species with similar appeal:

• I. purpurea 'Star of Yelta' has deep purple blooms with dark red stars and small white throats.
• I. purpurea 'Kniola's Black' is a purple-flowered cultivar but with blooms even darker than those of 'Star of Yelta.'
• I. tricolor 'Heavenly Blue' is a popular cultivar with large azure flowers and heart-shaped leaves.
• I. alba is also called moonflower or belle de nuit. It is a night-blooming species with 6-inch-wide white flowers.
• Ipomoea x multifida is known as the cardinal climber. It's a hybrid with relatively small but deep-red flowers resembling morning glory blooms.

Annuals vs. Perennials

Technically, most morning glories are perennial plants that come back year after year. However, this is only the case in hotter zones where they are truly hardy: zones 9-11.

Gardeners in cooler zones, 2 through 8, can still grow morning glories. These plants will not survive the winter and are therefore marketed as annuals. Further confusing things, sometimes these "annual" morning glories produce seeds that do germinate again in spring, making them seem perennial.

If you are in a cool zone, expect to grow morning glories as annuals. You will need to replant them each year. If you are in a hot zone, morning glories are perennials; they will survive winter.

If you are located somewhere in between and experience mild conditions, assume your morning glories are annuals, though their seeds may germinate in spring.

How to Grow Morning Glory From Seed

You can start seeds indoors about four to six weeks before your last frost date, but it's not necessary—morning glory does very well when direct-sown as well. If you prefer to direct sow, wait until the soil can be worked and has warmed to at least 64 degrees Fahrenheit.

Morning glory seeds have a very hard seed coat and germination will be faster with scarification. You can do this by rubbing the seeds between two pieces of coarse sandpaper for a few seconds and then soaking them overnight. You will notice they are plumper in the morning and ready to sprout.

Sow the seeds about 1/4 inch deep, spaced a few inches apart. If you are planting a row of morning glories, six-inch spacing will be fine. If you are planting a trellis, you don't need to be too particular about spacing. Water the seeds well and keep the soil moist until they sprout.

Common Pests & Plant Diseases

Morning glory vines are seldom bothered by pests, though aphids, spider mites, and leaf miners are possible. A gentle horticultural oil such as neem oil can be an effective method of pest removal. Deer, rabbits, and groundhogs may also chew on lower vines.

These plants are rarely affected by disease, though they can suffer from root rot when planted in poorly drained soil and powdery mildew when conditions are humid.

From: thespruce