There are almost 1,000 different types of Morning Glory flowers, which grow all over the world, loved by pollinators as much as humans.
In US gardens, they are generally treated as an annual plant; one that is grown from seed each year. It blooms from late spring to early fall, then goes to seed and dies back when the weather gets cooler.
Morning glories typically bloom in the summer months, usually from June to September. The exact time of blooming can vary depending on the location, growing conditions, and the specific variety of morning glory.
When do Morning Glories bloom?
Morning Glory flowers early in the day, as its name suggests!
They have such an attractive elongated shape, with a broad rim, which allows bees and butterflies to visit to collect nectar.
They seem to open up their colorful blooms with the morning sun and delight us in various colors; from blue to pink, with all shades of purple to lilac and a mixture of blue and pink together.
As the sun passes through to the afternoon, watch the flowers carefully and you will notice the flowers curling up, which fascinates younger gardeners.
The plant is in bloom from late May through to the first frosts and because each flower has such a short life, Morning Glory continues to produce blooms all summer.
However, you must remove dead flowers to encourage the plant to continue flowering or it may try to go to seed.
Do Morning Glories come back year after year?
It depends on the variety of Morning Glory that you choose!
In its native Central and South America, and some parts of China and Asia, Morning Glory thrives as a perennial plant, meaning that it flowers all year round.
It requires a sunny spot, where its blooms can be shown to perfection and it is not at all fussy about the soil in which it grows.
You can find these flowers in the wild in Brazil, Argentina, and Portugal, growing as street escapees. In the US in cooler areas, Morning Glory is best treated as an annual plant.
That said, if the plant goes to seed in your garden, it is likely to send seeds all over that area in which it is growing. So, self-seeded babies of this year’s Morning Glory may well surprise you next year.
See FAQs below for how to keep this plant from taking over your neighborhood.
Do morning glories bloom all day?
The clue here is in the name!
These little beauties are a product of Mother Nature that bloom in the morning before the sun gets too hot when the bees are out to fertilize them.
In their native habitats, their elongated, tubular-shaped blooms encourage bees, butterflies, and moths to enter directly inside the flower to reach the pollen.
Reputedly, the hummingbird adores Morning Glory and visits it frequently.
Children also love to watch while insects arrive to pollinate their colorful flowers and they are delighted when the flowers close up later on in the day.
These flowers are only for one day but not to worry! Tomorrow usually brings several more.
Where is the best place to plant morning glories?
Morning Glory is a sun worshipper so make sure you plant them in a sunny spot, where they are free to climb.
They can grow higher than 10 feet in the right conditions so do not put this plant somewhere that is not accessible for you. You will need to remove flowers almost daily to prevent them from going to seed.
Morning Glory plants are excellent climbers producing abundant, heart-shaped, pointed, green foliage on vine-like stems with blooms appearing every few leaves.
They brighten up a fence, they will cover a shed and if you sow different colors, you can make quite a fragrant show all summer long.
The young seedlings like a lot of water at first; once established, they do not need as much. You should also be aware that Morning Glory is notorious for its ability to seed and spread so your neighbors might not like this flower as much as you do!
So plant it away from boundary fences to avoid them spreading.
Do Morning Glories bloom more than once?
Yes, if you deadhead the blooms. The key to a long flowering period is definitely your daily care.
The blooms arrive in a glorious bud, then flower but they shrivel after a day in the sun, and then turn to seed in the wild.
If you step in and remove the blooms, the plant is fooled into producing more and more colorful flowers, which will brighten your garden all summer long. As soon as the weather gets chilly, the plant dies back.
Do Morning Glories come back every year?
Some varieties do in tropical or semi-tropical regions but not in the US, in areas where it is cooler in winter.
In general, it is best to treat Morning Glory as an annual. In semi-tropical zones, the flower will just keep growing providing it has sunshine, water, and a place to climb.
FAQs
Is Morning Glory invasive?
Morning Glory will normally last only one growing season and although it has widespread, it is unusual for it to be invasive. It may sprinkle seeds at the end of the season. If you remove the plant before it does that, then it is not invasive.
However, be careful of white varieties! Bindweed is one of those varieties. It is a close relative of Morning Glory with white flowers. So, you may be unwittingly introducing this gardener’s nightmare into your flower bed.
Bindweed spreads invasively throughout your garden, your neighbor’s, and the local environment by underground roots, which are very difficult to remove. So check the seed packet carefully!
Should I prune my Morning Glory?
Pruning is not usually necessary for these plants.
However, it is essential to remove dead flowers or the plant will die back and go to seed. Enlist the help of smaller gardeners with this task. They may even like to press the flowers they pick!
Is Morning Glory used in medicine?
Morning Glory was utilized in China for its seeds, which were believed to have laxative qualities.
Also, be careful with the seeds because they contain psychedelic compounds, which were used in Mexico by shamans as a hallucinogenic substance for religious purposes.
Is Morning Glory poisonous?
Eating the flowers of Morning Glory is not a problem unless the child is ill afterward.
Seek medical help if the child continues to be sick.
The flowers are not recommended for eating but they are not poisonous to humans. However, the seeds of Morning Glory are another matter altogether!
Many commercially sold varieties of Morning Glory are coated in a pesticide, which if ingested, is indeed poisonous. However, the uncoated seeds are also known to produce a similar effect to LSD so it is best to keep these well away from little hands and pets.
A fun fact is that deer absolutely love the seeds and eat them without apparent problems.
Final Tips
Morning Glory is a great container plant, which grows really quickly, like the storybook beanstalk, which will delight younger gardeners.
It appreciates a climbing frame so you can also use these colorful blooms to disguise a shed or an untidy area of your garden, with its abundant and colorful blooms. In a pot, the plant cannot invade the neighbor’s garden either.
Morning Glory is not a plant that needs to be fertilized regularly. It is only at the start of their lives they like a good watering to get established.
Don’t feed this plant too much because this encourages the Morning Glory plant to produce abundant greenery, not blooms. Leave it to climb and it will continue to provide you with interest and color.
