Morning Glory
Ipomoea tricolor
Family Convolvulaceae
Morning glory is cheap fence therapy — one packet turns chain-link into a wall of dawn-blue trumpets, ten to fifteen feet of vine in a single season. Each flower opens fresh at sunrise, which makes the first coffee of the day measurably better.
Fences, mailboxes, and kids' bean-pole teepees are its natural habitat; bees handle the pollinating and heat does the growing. Two footnotes: 'Grandpa Ott's' self-sows enthusiastically, and the seed packet stays out of small hands. Aim it at your ugliest fence and stand back.
Full Sun
Low water
Very Fast growth
Attracts bees
None winter chill
From the print shop
Growing morning glory? Hang it.
Our Plant Library collection carries morning glory — Ipomoea tricolor, print Nº 312, “Morning Glory.”
526 designsfrom $12.99white or black backgroundmatte poster, unframed
Will it thrive where you are?
Enter your ZIP — we look up your USDA hardiness zone (2023 map) and check it against what morning glory actually needs.
Life cycleAnnualMorning Glory · Common problems
Common morning glory problems
Pests
1 problem on file
- Almost none
Diseases
2 problems on file
- Rust
- Fungal Leaf Spot (cosmetic)
Morning Glory · Growing & propagation
Growing morning glory
- Light
- Full Sun
- Water
- Low once running
Soil- Average
Rich soil = all leaf, no trumpet · pH 6.0 - 7.5
Fertilizer- None
Pruning- None
Nick + soak seed overnight for germination; give it string and get out of the way.
Spacing- 6-12 in at a trellis
How to plant & propagate morning glory
- Propagate
- From seed
Morning Glory · Calculators & field guides
A little help in the garden.
Morning Glory · Yearly calendar
The morning glory year, month by month
Jan
No calendar activity is listed for this month.
BloomBloomJuly
What each band means
- Bloom — flowers open — pollinators working, frost on blossoms is the danger.
These are the species' typical months — expect them a few weeks earlier in warm zones and later in cold ones. Watch the plant, not just the calendar.
Morning Glory · Ecology & uses
Ecology & uses
Ipomoea tricolor
Morning Glory in the garden system
- Vine layer annual
Attracts- Bees
Moisture- Upland / dry
Deer- Browsed
Protect young plants
Origin- Introduced
What morning glory is grown for
! Some parts toxic — see notesSeeds toxic — keep packets from kids
Use- Fences
- Use
- Mailboxes
- Use
- Kids' teepees
Edibility, identification, and traditional-use notes here are general reference — not medical or veterinary advice, and not a claim that any plant treats or prevents anything. Medicinal ratings record how strongly a plant features in herbal tradition, nothing more. Never eat or dose a plant you have not positively identified. More on how to use this library.
Morning Glory · Varieties & cultivars
Choosing a morning glory variety
'Heavenly Blue' (THE one); 'Grandpa Ott's' (purple, self-sows hard); 'Moonflower' (night cousin, fragrant)
Sources & plant identity
Know what you’re growing.
See where the knowledge comes from.
Morning Glory
Ipomoea tricolor
The plant, at a glance.
- Botanical name
- Ipomoea tricolor
- Plant family
- Convolvulaceae
- Growth habit
- Annual
- Origin
- Introduced
- USDA plant symbol
- IPTR3
- Invasive risk
- Low
Hardiness, size and timing vary with your cultivar, soil and climate.
Rooted in research.
University extension research, brought together with hands-on growing experience at Story Thyme Farms.
Questions
Morning Glory questions, answered straight.
Is morning glory safe for kids and pets?
With care. Seeds toxic — keep packets from kids Site it accordingly if children or pets roam the garden. This is general reference, not medical or veterinary advice — call a vet or poison control if something has actually been eaten.
How do you propagate morning glory?
From seed.
Elsewhere
Where morning glory sits in the library.
Sweet Pea
Clematis
Wisteria
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