The illustrated growing guide
Morning Glory
Ipomoea tricolor
Family Convolvulaceae
Grown as an annual
Cheap fence therapy: a packet turns chain-link into a wall of dawn-blue trumpets. Warning label: 'Grandpa Ott's' self-sows like it pays rent — deadhead if that scares you.
Full Sun
Low water
Very Fast growth
Attracts bees
None winter chill
From the print shop
The closest print we make
We don’t print Ipomoea tricolor. The closest we have is Ipomoea purpurea (“Morning Glory”) in the Vines & Climbers collection — the same genus, Ipomoea, not the same species.
16 designsfrom $21.99white or black groundmatte poster, unframed
I
Overview
Will morning glory suit your garden, and what goes wrong.
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 at a glance
Common morning glory problems
- Almost none
- Rust
- Fungal Leaf Spot (cosmetic)
II
Growing
Light, water, soil, propagation and the season’s jobs.
How to grow morning glory: light, water & soil
How to plant & propagate morning glory
III
The year
What morning glory asks for, month by month.
The morning glory year, month by month
BloomWhat each band means
- Bloom — flowers open — pollinators working, frost on blossoms is the danger.
The morning glory year as text
- Jan quiet month
- Feb quiet month
- Mar quiet month
- Apr quiet month
- May quiet month
- Jun quiet month
- Jul bloom
- Aug quiet month
- Sep quiet month
- Oct quiet month
- Nov quiet month
- Dec quiet month
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.
IV
Ecology & uses
What it does for the garden, and what it is grown for.
Morning Glory in the garden system
- Vine layer annual
What morning glory is grown for
! Some parts toxic — see notesSeeds toxic — keep packets from kids
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.
V
Cultivars
Named varieties of morning glory, ruled as a catalogue.
Best morning glory varieties & cultivars
'Heavenly Blue' (THE one); 'Grandpa Ott's' (purple, self-sows hard); 'Moonflower' (night cousin, fragrant)
VI
Sources & plant ID
Where the care distinctions come from, and how the plant is filed.
Research basis
Sources behind this profile
No extension citations are attached to morning gloryyet. The care figures below come from the library's own catalogue rather than a traced primary source.
Plant ID
VII
Where to buy
Third-party nurseries — not Story Thyme Farms.
Third-party nurseries, not Story Thyme Farms. Prices are theirs.
Story Thyme Farms may earn a small commission from these links, at no cost to you — it never changes what we recommend.
VIII
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.
IX
Elsewhere
Where morning glory sits in the library.
Sweet Pea
Clematis
Wisteria
Coral Honeysuckle