Common morning glory

Common morning glory: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Annual twining climber: the stems wind around wires, twigs and railings, up to 3 m tall and about 50 cm across.

Leaves

Heart-shaped, 5–12 cm, fresh green and softly hairy, on long stalks.

Flower

Funnel-shaped, 4–6 cm across, from July to October; open in the morning, closed later in the day, one day per flower.

Colour

Purple, pink, violet-blue, red or white, often with a white throat and stripes.

Seed

Hard, dark seeds in round capsules; they are poisonous.

Flowering: July–October · Sowing: April–May · Plants: May–June

Why grow it?

• Reaches 3 m in one summer: a quick green screen on a fence, pergola or balcony.
• New funnel-shaped flowers every morning, from July until the first frost.
• The heart-shaped leaves form a dense, fresh screen.
• Also suits a large pot with a trellis on a sunny patio.
• A cheap, temporary solution while slower climbers are still growing.

Common morning glory: where does it grow best?

• Full sun and warmth, ideally facing south or west and out of the wind.
• Ordinary, well-drained garden soil: sand, loam or clay, acid to chalky; very rich soil gives mostly leaves.
• Moderately moist; in a pot it dries out quickly.
• It needs a support: wires, mesh, a fence or an obelisk. Plant 20–30 cm apart.

Light

Sun

Soil type

Sand, loam or clay

Acidity

Not fussy

Moisture

Normal

Size

3 m tall, 0.5 m wide

Hardiness

Frost tender: plant out after the last frost (mid-May)

Goes well with

• Nasturtium: A colourful annual at the foot of the fence, in the same sun.
• Runner bean: Another fast annual climber: together they flower in red and purple.
• Sweet pea: Flowers in early summer; morning glory then takes over.
• Sunflower: A sturdy stem for the morning glory to twine up.

Common morning glory: when and how to plant it?

Plant in May–June.

1. Soak the seed overnight in lukewarm water; you can also lightly file hard seeds with a nail file.
2. Sow indoors in April, two or three seeds per 8–9 cm pot, 1 cm deep, at about 20 °C. It dislikes root disturbance, so sow straight into individual pots.
3. Or sow where it is to grow at the end of May, 1 cm deep, at the foot of a fence or trellis.
4. Plant out indoor-sown plants after mid-May, once nights are warm, 20–30 cm apart; keep the root ball intact.
5. Guide the young shoots to the support and water in well.
6. A thin layer of compost around the base keeps the soil moist.

Care

Watering

Water regularly, especially in pots and in warm weather: do not let it dry out, but avoid waterlogging.

Feeding

Needs little: ordinary soil gives the most flowers. Too much nitrogen gives lots of leaves and few flowers. In pots, a little flowering-plant feed every three weeks.

Support

Wind young shoots around the support; after that they climb on their own. Wires or mesh work better than a smooth wall.

Pinching

Pinch out the tip of young plants with four or five leaves if you want more side shoots.

Seed capsules

Pick them off if you want more flowers and are not saving seed, especially with children or pets around.

Tip: Grow morning glory where you pass in the morning, by the front door or the breakfast patio: later in the day the flowers are already closed.

Common morning glory: when to prune it?

When: Morning glory is not pruned. Guide the shoots in summer and clear the plant after the first frost.

How:

• Cut off over-long or stray shoots, or guide them back to the support.
• Remove the seed capsules if you do not want seed to ripen.
• After the first frost pull the blackened stems off the support and clear them away, capsules and all.

Caution: Do not leave ripe seed capsules where children or pets can reach them: the seed is poisonous.

Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Seed

Sow indoors in April or outdoors at the end of May, after soaking overnight. You can save your own seed: pick brown, dry capsules in September–October, let them dry further and store the seed cool, dry and out of reach of children.

Common morning glory: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to 2 °C: protect in harsh winters.

• Not hardy: it does not tolerate temperatures below about 2 °C and dies at the first frost.
• Clear the plant in October–November and sow again in spring.
• Fallen seed can overwinter in the soil and germinate in spring: weed out unwanted seedlings.

Diseases and pests

• Aphids: On young shoots and buds. Spray off with water; ladybirds help.
• Red spider mite: Fine yellow speckling and webbing on the leaves in hot, dry weather, especially against a wall. Mist the leaves and keep the soil moist.
• Yellow leaves: After cold nights or planting out too early, the leaves turn yellow and growth stops. Only plant out after mid-May.
• Lots of leaves, few flowers: Soil too rich or too much feed. Stop feeding and give the plant more sun.
• Slugs: They strip young seedlings. Protect them for the first weeks and pick slugs off in the evening.

Through the year

• April: Soak seed overnight and sow indoors in individual pots.
• May: Plant out after mid-May or sow in place at the end of May. Put up the support.
• June: Guide the shoots. Water in dry spells.
• July: Flowering starts: new flowers every morning.
• August: Full flower. Water. Remove seed capsules.
• September: Flowering. Collect seed if you want to.
• October: Last flowers. Clear away after the first frost.

Edible and useful

Not edible. All parts of these morning glories are poisonous, especially the seeds: in purple morning glory and its relatives they contain alkaloids that cause nausea, vomiting, stomach ache and even hallucinations. That is why they are sometimes eaten on purpose as a ‘natural drug’, which is dangerous, and shop-bought seed is often treated with a fungicide as well. Keep seed packets out of reach of children and teenagers, do not leave ripe seed pods lying around, and keep dogs and cats away from the seeds. Never eat any of it. If any is swallowed, call a poison centre (in Belgium 070 245 245) or your doctor at once.

Did you know?

• Each flower opens for just one morning, hence the name morning glory.
• It is related to bindweed and the sweet potato.
• Charles Darwin used common morning glory in his experiments on cross- and self-fertilisation.