Morning Glory
Ipomoea
Morning Glory blooms from June through October.
Mature size, hardiness zones, sun and the trait tags were checked against named botanical sources for this plant. The bloom months and water need on this page were not.
Growing Morning Glory
Plant it in full sun. It prefers moderate water. Expect it to reach about 9.8 ft tall and 3.3 ft wide at maturity, in roughly 1 year.
Comes in 5 varieties across 4 colors
Same plant, same care - pick the color you are growing.
Good to know about Morning Glory
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note.
Safety
Toxic to dogs, cats and horses. The seeds are the most dangerous part: they carry ergoline (LSA) alkaloids that are poisonous and hallucinogenic if eaten. per ASPCA and NC State
Worth knowing
Each showy funnel flower opens fresh at dawn and lasts a single day, then a new set opens the next morning. Colors span blue, purple, pink, red and white. per NC State
Poor or average soil?
NC State says it flowers well in poor soil with little fertilizer; Missouri Botanical prefers average soil. Both agree: lean, well-drained ground, no heavy feeding. per NC State and Missouri Botanical
Self-seeds and can turn weedy
It self-seeds heavily and escapes gardens; NC State calls it potentially invasive and Missouri Botanical notes it has naturalized across much of the US. Volunteers return for years. per NC State and Missouri Botanical
Needs a support to climb
It climbs by twining its soft stems, with no pads or clinging roots, so give it a trellis, arbor, fence, netting or strings at planting. Otherwise it sprawls. per NC State
Grow from seed each year
Frost-tender, so grow it as a warm-season annual. Sow after the last frost in warm soil; nick the hard seed coat and soak overnight to speed germination. per NC State
Draws specialist native bees
Attracts butterflies, hummingbirds and bees, including two specialist morning-glory bees NC State documents. The wide funnel feeds them, though the flowers are largely spent by afternoon. per NC State
What pairs well with Morning Glory
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
Pansy
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate water; opens in early spring and overlaps into this one's season; low at 8 in, to carpet the ground beneath; purple sits close to blue on the wheel.
Lobelia
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate water; low at 8 in, to carpet the ground beneath; both offer pollinator forage; echoes the blue.
Canterbury Bells
Shares full sun and moderate water; opens in late spring and overlaps into this one's season; lower at 2.3 ft, for the front of the border; echoes the blue.
African Daisy
Shares full sun and moderate water; opens in mid spring and overlaps into this one's season; low at 12 in, to carpet the ground beneath.
Stock
Shares full sun and moderate water; opens in mid spring and overlaps into this one's season; lower at 1.6 ft, for the front of the border.
Sunflower
Shares full sun and moderate water; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; both offer pollinator forage; orange against blue, for contrast.
Bachelor's Button
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; opens in late spring and overlaps into this one's season; both offer pollinator forage; lower at 2.3 ft, for the front of the border.
Larkspur
Shares full sun and moderate water; opens in late spring and overlaps into this one's season; lower at 3 ft, for the front of the border; echoes the blue.
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