Morning glories have long been favorites in an informal or cottage garden for their charming vining habit and cheerful early-morning blooms. Nothing’s more picturesque than a trellis or garden gate covered in these trumpet-shaped flowers surrounded by large, heart-shaped leaves.
Morning glory (Ipomoea spp) is the common name for a flower that has been cultivated for generations. These flowers get their name because they open in the morning and close mid-afternoon, with blooms occurring until the first frost in the fall. Pollinators such as hummingbirds love these flowers, and they’re easy to grow from seed. They work equally well in beds, containers, and window boxes.
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Morning glory can reseed prolifically, and seeds may remain viable for several decades in the soil, which causes some gardeners to avoid them (or call them weeds!) because of their aggressive nature. You can (mostly) avoid this issue by deadheading flowers before they can drop seeds and by pulling up unwanted seedlings by hand next spring. However, in some areas of the country, common morning glory (Ipomoea purpurea) is considered invasive and should not be planted.
These flowers also should not be confused with the difficult-to-control weed, bindweed, which looks similar and shares the common name of morning glory. However, bindweed has arrow-shaped leaves and small one-inch wide white or pink flowers, whereas morning glory has large flowers up to 6 inches or more across, surrounded by heart-shaped leaves.
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How to Plant Morning Glory Flowers
Morning glory is easy to grow from seed. Plant outdoors after all threat of frost has passed, or start seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before your area’s last expected frost date. Simply find a spot in full sun, then poke seeds into the soil about ½ -inch deep. Water well.
You can jumpstart germination by notching the seed with a knife or by soaking it overnight, though neither step is absolutely necessary. Once the plant emerges, it grows rapidly to heights of 6 to 10 feet tall. When the plant reaches about six inches tall, give it a trellis, fence or obelisk to climb, which also helps show off its pretty flowers.
Idzo 61-Inch Wood Obelisk Trellis
Soil
Morning glory is not picky about soil and will grow readily in average, well-drained soils.
Light
Morning glory flowers need full sun, which is considered 6 or more hours of direct sunlight. In shade, this plant stretches and tends not to flower well.
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Water
Water weekly after planting. Once established, water the plants only as needed during dry spells. But don’t let the plant dry out totally because it flowers better with consistent moisture.
Fertilizer
It’s not entirely necessary, but to encourage blooms, fertilize plants every month or so with a water soluble general-purpose fertilizer.
JR Peters Jacks Classic No.1.5 20-20-20 All Purpose Fertilizer
Problems with Morning Glory Flowers
Morning glories have almost no pest or disease problems. Occasionally, you may find aphids or spider mites, which you can blast off with the garden hose or treat with insecticidal soap or neem oil.
Morning glory flowers, specifically common morning glory (Ipomoea purpurea), also are considered invasive in some areas of the country, so they should not be planted. Plant cultivars of other less aggressive species of this flower if you would like to grow it and not worry about it taking over your garden.
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Types of Morning Glories ‘Ismay’ (Ipomoea tricolor) has pastel blue blooms with blue star markings and a yellow throat‘Heavenly Blue’ (Ipomoea tricolor) has huge, deep blue blooms with white centers‘Scarlet O’Hara’ (Ipomoea nil) has stunning dark red blooms‘Pearly Gates’ (Ipomoea tricolor) has pure white blooms that appear later in the season than other varietiesWhere to Buy Morning Glories
Seed Needs ‘Scarlet O’Hara’Credit: Seed Needs
Eden Brothers ‘Ismay’
Now 11% Off
Credit: Eden Brothers
Eden Brothers ‘Heavenly Blue’
Now 11% Off
Credit: Eden Brothers
Burpee ‘Tutu’Credit: Burpee
The Old Farmer’s Almanac Morning Glory Seeds (Heavenly Blue)
Seed Needs, Scarlet O Hara Morning Glory Seeds
Arricca Elin SanSone is a writer, editor, and content creator who specializes in lifestyle and gardening. With a background in health reporting, she applies these same research skills when writing about the science of growing things. She trials new plants in her expansive garden, and her houseplant collection consists of 60+ varieties. Arricca has written thousands of articles for publications such as Country Living, House Beautiful, Good Housekeeping, Prevention, VERANDA, Southern Living, and more. She’s happiest when digging in the dirt, baking, or spending time with the people and dogs she loves.