A fast-growing twining annual vine, often grown on trellises for its trumpet-shaped blue flowers. It needs warmth, sun and a sheltered spot, and it will not survive frost.
Family
Convolvulaceae (Morning-glory family)
Grows as
Climber
Light
Full sun
Water
Water regularly during dry spells, letting the top of the soil dry slightly between waterings.
Soil
Well-drained, moderately fertile garden soil; avoid overly rich soil that encourages leaves over flowers.
Temperature
18–30 °C; does not tolerate temperatures below 5 °C
How easy
Easy
Safety
Toxic: Seeds and other parts contain ergoline alkaloids (mainly ergine); ingesting any part may cause discomfort and hallucinogenic effects.. Toxic to cats and dogs (ASPCA).
Native range
Mexico
Climate
seasonally dry tropical
About
Ipomoea tricolor, the Mexican morning glory or just morning glory, is a species of flowering plant in the family Convolvulaceae, native to the tropics of the Americas, and widely cultivated and naturalised elsewhere.
How to grow it
In cultivation, the species is very commonly grown misnamed as Ipomoea violacea, which is actually a different, though related, species. I. tricolor does not tolerate temperatures below 5 °C (41 °F), and so in temperate regions is usually grown as an annual. It is in any case a relatively short-lived plant. It prefers a warm, sheltered, sunny position such as a south- or west-facing wall.
Ingesting any part of the plant may cause discomfort.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Ipomoea tricolor by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.