While the classic morning glory is perhaps the most familiar member of the genus Ipomoea, the plant group includes more than 300 species—ranging from the sweet potato to fast-growing twining climbers.
Morning glory vines can reach 10 feet or taller in a single season. In fact, their quick coverage made them a popular “privy plant” in the past to camouflage outhouses. As their name suggests, the plants’ blooms open in the morning and gradually fade by afternoon, with the plants’ vines wrapping tightly around wood, wire, string, or each other. Fittingly, in the language of flowers, Ipomoea symbolizes bonds and attachments.
Top Morning Glory Cultivars (Ipomoea purpurea & tricolor)
While many gardeners love the classic heart-shaped leaves and sky-blue flowers of the ‘Clarke’s Heavenly Blue’ cultivar, morning glories offer a rich palette of other colors and forms:
- ‘Flying Saucers’: Displays unique, silvery-white flowers streaked with vibrant blue.
- ‘Grandpa Ott’s’: A vigorous heirloom climber with dark-blue flowers and a red star in the center. This is the famous plant that helped launch the Seed Savers Exchange.
- ‘Kniola’s Black Knight’: Showcases deep-purple blooms highlighted by a striking hot-pink throat.
- ‘Scarlett O’Hara’: Features rich, wine-red blossoms with a pure white throat.
- ‘Sunrise Serenade’: A double-flowering variety with large, ruffled red blossoms that stay open longer than single varieties. (Note: This cultivar needs a bit of help climbing and should be tied to its support).
Unique Ipomoea Species to Try
Beyond standard morning glories, several related species bring distinct shapes, scents, and wildlife benefits to the garden:
- Cardinal climber (Ipomoea x multifida): Features deeply cut foliage and bright red, tubular flowers that hummingbirds find irresistible.
- Cypress vine (Ipomoea quamoclit): Similar to the Cardinal Climber with matching red trumpet flowers, but boasts fine, fern-like foliage.
- Moonflower (Ipomoea alba): Resembles a large white morning glory, but its fragrant blooms open at night—making it essential for moon gardens.
- Spanish flag (Ipomoea lobata): Produces racemes of small tubular flowers that transition from bright red to orange, yellow, and finally white. A single plant can hold hundreds of multicolored blossoms that resemble tiny flags.
Growing Morning Glories
Ipomoea plants prefer a sunny location with well-drained soil—and they tolerate drought. There’s generally no need to fertilize them; in fact, overly fertile soil will promote lush leaf growth instead of flowers. Soak the seeds overnight before planting to soften the seed coat and speed germination.
Flowering vines are fast growers and will cover an unsightly spot in your yard in no time.They are charming when grown on a trellis or twined around the railings of your sunny porch or deck. They can be trained to form a living fence or privacy screen, provide shade, or just add a wall of color. As an architectural element, they lend a new dimension to any garden. Time to think about growing up!
Read more about growing this vine on our Morning Glory Plant page.
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Sometimes if the soil is too rich in nitrogen morning glories will grow lovely lush vines at the expense of flowering. They bloom best in poorer soil. If you feel the need to fertilize, use a fertilizer that is high in phosphorus to encourage blossoming. Often if it is too hot the plants won't flower and we did have a hot summer. They also need full sun to bloom well.
Hi Sylvia, I am also a zone 5 gardener and would not hesitate to start some more morning glories from seed this week. If you soak the seeds overnight before planting they should be up in a week. Once they have emerged they will grow fast in the long warm days of summer. As long as there are no freaky early frosts you should get plenty of blossoms. Good luck
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