How to Grow Morning Glories: The Complete Morning Glory Flower Guide

Two delicate vivid blue and pink flowers of morning glory plant in a a garden in a sunny summer garden, outdoor floral background photographed with soft focus
Photo Credit
Cristina Ionescu/Shutterstock
Botanical Name
Ipomoea tricolor, I. purpurea
Plant Type
Flower
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Soil pH
Neutral
Bloom Time
Summer
Fall
Flower Color
Blue
Pink
Purple
Red
White
Hardiness Zone
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
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Planting, Growing, and Caring for Morning Glory Flowers

Catherine Boeckmann

Want to grow morning glories? This plant, with its romantic tendrils and trumpet-shaped flowers, is beloved by butterflies and hummingbirds. It’s often mistaken for a perennial weed with the same name. Learn how to plant and grow morning glory flowers!

About Morning Glories

NOTE: This guide is NOT about the perennial weed that shares the common name of “morning glory.” That plant is classified as a noxious weed in many states. Read more below. 

Morning glories are tender annuals, so they are sensitive to cool temperatures and late frosts. They bloom from early summer to the first frost of fall. 

Their fragrant, colorful flowers come in pink, purple-blue, magenta, or white colors. Pollinators love Morning Glories’ trumpet-shaped blooms.

Train twining morning glory vines over a pergola or arch, or use them as a dense groundcover. This drought-tolerant plant grows quickly—up to 10 feet in one season—and can self-seed fairly easily. Because of this, you’ll want to choose where you put this plant wisely! Otherwise, you may have more morning glories than you bargained for.

Warning: All , especially in large quantities. Keep them out of reach of children and pets.

Annual Versus Perennial Morning Glories

The attractive annual morning glory (Ipomoea spp.) is often mistaken for its perennial cousin, field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis), a very troublesome, invasive weed native to Europe and Asia. 

Field bindweed—also called “perennial morning glory” or “creeping jenny”—grows similarly to our annual morning glory but sends out deep, deep roots (), which make it very difficult to get rid of and allow it to overwinter in areas where cultivated morning glories could not. 

To tell the difference between the plants, look closely at the leaves, flowers, and vines:

  • The leaves of the annual morning glory are heart-shaped and large (2 or more inches across). Field bindweed leaves are shaped more like an arrowhead and smaller. 
  • Annual morning glory flowers may be pink, white, magenta, blue, purple, or red. Field bindweed flowers only occur in either pink or white, and blooms are much smaller than annual morning glory.
  • Morning glory vines are usually thicker than bindweed vines and typically have small hairs.

In any case, if you come across a plant in your garden that resembles Morning Glory and you know you didn’t plant it, it’s best to err on the side of caution and treat it as a weed. 

Read Next

Planting

Choose a sunny spot. Plant in moderately fertile, well-draining soil to encourage good foliage growth followed by plenty of flowers.

Finally, choose a location that is sheltered from strong, drying winds. Give them a fence, lattice, or trellis to climb up so that vines don’t crowd out other ground-level plants.

When to Plant Morning Glories

  • Sow seeds as early as possible after the danger of frost is over.

Purple Morning Glories

How to Plant Morning Glories

  • Germination rates are improved by filing down the seeds just enough to break the outer coat and then soaking them for 24 hours before planting. This encourages them to send out a root (it looks like a little worm). 
  • Cover lightly with 1/4-inch of soil. Space seeds about 6 inches apart.
  • Water thoroughly at planting.
  • Seedlings should appear in about a week; some seeds may be stubborn and take 2 or 3 weeks to sprout.

Growing

  • Apply a balanced liquid fertilizer after planting. Do not over-fertilize, or the vine may grow more foliage than flowers.
  • Support this climbing plant with structures like trellises, pergolas, or arches.
    • Tip: Morning glories climb by twining their vines around a support, so make sure that whichever type of structure you grow them against has plenty of space for whorling! 
  • Morning glories are low maintenance; just be sure to water during particularly dry periods.
  • Mulch to retain moisture and suppress weeds.
  • If you don’t want the plant to reseed itself, pinch off old flowers before they turn into seedpods. This can also encourage the plant to keep producing more flowers. 

Purple morning glory vining over a wooden fence

Types

  • ‘Heavenly Blue’ are the classic morning glories with rich azure (blue) flowers and white throats. These plants climb to 12 feet.
  • ‘Sٳ ’H’ has bright red flowers with a white throat. It climbs to 15 feet.
  • Here are more recommended morning glory varieties!
'Heavenly Blue' morning glory. Photo by Heike Loechel/Wikimedia Commons.
‘Heavenly Blue’ morning glory. Photo by Heike Loechel/Wikimedia Commons.
Gardening Products

Wit and Wisdom

growing morning glories inforgraphic

Pests/Diseases

Morning glories are fast-growing and are rarely bothered by pests or diseases to a significant extent.

Morning Glory Pests and Diseases
Pest/DiseaseTypeSymptomsControl/Prevention
AphidsInsectMisshapen/yellow leaves; distorted flowers; leaf drop; sticky “honeydew” (excretion) on leaves; sooty, black moldKnock off with water spray; apply insecticidal soap; inspect new plants carefully; use slow-release fertilizers; avoid excess nitrogen; encourage aphid predators such as lacewings, ladybugs, spiders
Fusarium wiltFungusPlants wilt (sometimes one-sided) in daytime; later, entire plant wilts/dies; stunting; yellow leaves; poor flowering; roots rot; stem cross-section reveals brown discolorationDestroy infected plants/ roots/surrounding soil (do not compost); remove plant debris regularly; disinfect tools; resistant varieties; avoid excess nitrogen; in acidic soils, raise pH to 7.0; weed; 3- to 5-year rotation
Leaf minersInsectMeandering blisters in leaves caused by tunneling larvaeRemove infested leaves; weed; use row covers; till soil early in season; rotate plantings
Leaf spot (fungal)FungusVaries; leaf spots on lower leaves enlarge and turn brown/black; fuzzy growth or pustules in lesions; disease progresses upward; leaves dieDestroy infected leaves/ severely infected plants (do not compost); remove plant debris regularly; disinfect tools; resistant varieties; good air circulation; avoid overhead watering
RustFungusVaries; orange pustules on undersides of lower leaves/stems; spots on upper leaf surfaces; foliage distorts/ dies/drops; stunting; poor flowering; plants weakenedDestroy infected parts/severely diseased plants; remove plant debris regularly; disinfect tools; resistant varieties; good air circulation; avoid overhead watering; weed
Flowers
About The Author

Catherine Boeckmann

Catherine Boeckmann loves nature, stargazing, and gardening so it’s not surprising that she and The Old Farmer’s found each other. She leads digital content for the website, and is also a certified master gardener in the state of Indiana. Read More from Catherine Boeckmann
 

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Comments

Kim R (not verified)

8 years 3 months ago

This spring I planted some picotee blue morning glory- the vines took off and they are very beautiful. However the flowers have recently started blooming and they're all very pink. There is no blue on these flowers at all. Any suggestions on how I get the blue color I so coveted? I am in Central California. It's been very hot recently, and I'm just not sure what I need to do to get these flowers to be blue.

Ana (not verified)

8 years 3 months ago

This is my first year planting mg and I would Ike to see if they might reseed next year. Are there any tips that might help, eg., cutting back the dead foliage at end of season or not...protecting from cold...water and/or fertilize. Thanks!

From the flowers that have died, remove the small black pods. Bring them into the house and leave them to harden. Once dry, crack them open. you will find little black seeds. Spread them out to dry for about a week. Once they are dry, store them in a zip-lock bag until spring planting time.

Laurie (not verified)

8 years 3 months ago

I have planted Heavenly Blue Morning Glory seeds in my garden for several years. The flowers are lavender and white. I live in the high desert, in Albuquerque, NM, and my soil is fairly neutral, sandy and well drained. The vines get plenty of sun. Do you think I need to acidify the soil? What other suggestions do you have?

Orion (not verified)

8 years 3 months ago

Hello, when is the best time of the day to fertilize & water MG plants? At dusk & early morning or any time? Thanks.

Sue (not verified)

8 years 3 months ago

My Morning Glories have beautiful leaves, but so far only 1 flower. We haven't added any fertilizer, but did use a nutrient rich potting soil. Is there anything I can do to help them grow some flowers?

Orion (not verified)

8 years 3 months ago

Hi,
1- Under Planting section, 1st line, you wrote: "Grow annuals in a sunny, sheltered site. They need a lot of sun."
A: Do you mean direct sun or indirect?
B: What do you mean with "sheltered site"; like what?

2- I planted the dark purple Morning Glories (MG) seeds few months ago, next to the west wall of a 4 level building. They grow and have some flowers. Although, the front area of them is open & get a lot of light but they get no direct sun in the morning. They get direct sun after noon. In the morning, flowers open & leaves are firm & happy but in the afternoon, when they get exposed to direct sun, flowers close, & leaves kind of wilting. They don't seem to like direct sun. The next day morning, they are happy again.
C:What do you think is the problem?

3- My favorite spot for MG is near the 6' metal fence near the north of the building, in front of my window (since I have no window to the west). But the problem with this side is, I have a big tree with a lot of shade - some sun for short period of the day. Every attempt I made in the past with MG seeds on this side was not successful. That's why I plant them this time on the west side, & when they grew, I moved most of them within last few days to the north side, hoping they continue to grow, climb the fence, & flower. Plus, it's not possible to put anything on the west side for them to climb, which I feel it must be painful for them & tangle to each other.
D: Do you think this would be OK for them, & they will survive & flower?
E: Anything I can do to help them?
F: Should I fertilize them? I have a "All Purpose Plant Food, Water Soluble 20-20-20 with Micronutrients" package. The package suggests 1 tablespoon per gallon water for outdoor. Would that be fine for my MG? Or should I go with less or more? If yes, how often should I fertilize them with this one?

4- Since I moved my MGs to the north side, I see some holes in the leaves of some of them. I haven't seen any insect on them to know the invader but there are some ants on the ground as usual. I've seen some tin web which is probably from spider mites.
G: Do you have any idea what's causing it?
H: Is there any easy & natural way to prevent it without pesticide? I read info about Aphids & spider mites control under your page - they are very good. A solution of water, few drops of dishwashing liquid, a little alcohol, & a pinch of cayenne pepper powder would be OK without any harm to MG plant?

5- Have you ever heard of squirrels damage MG? I saw a squirrel damaged some of my MG plants by eating the stems & buds, & dig to the root & pull them out.
I: Any solution?

Thanks for your help.

Hi Orion,

1. They like full sun, but will tolerate dappled light.

2. A trellis that is tucked into the landscape rather than in a wide open exposed site constitutes a sheltered site.

3. If they are planted in a place where air circulation is limited (say, up against a wall) and they are experiencing hot afternoon sun, they might be responding to the heat more than the light. Try providing a bit of shade at that time of day (perhaps with an umbrella).

4.  A north-facing site is not optimal, as they won’t likely receive enough sun, but they should live and flower—just not as vigorously. Biweekly fertilizing is always a good idea with annuals. Follow instructions on the label.

5. Holes in leaves typically suggest a chewing pest like Japanese beetles. Mites cause stipling. Go out at dusk or in the early morning to see if you can spot beetles. If so, pick them off and drop them into a bowl of soapy water.

6. The only real protection against squirrels is netting.

Hope that helps!

 

 

 

 

 

Hello Staff,
-Thanks a lot for ur great info. Today I checked my MG plants; many of them were massacred from stems (near or above ground), leaves cut from its far-end stem (=> a lot of leaves on the ground),... I was almost crying, especially with so many hours, energy, & effort I put to move them (hurt my back & legs...); & now I even feel guilty to cause their death & suffering because I moved them. They didn't have this problem at all when they were in the west side, which is ~20 feet from north side. Do these insects avoid sunny & hot area (like my west side), & more attracted to shady & damp & cooler area (like my north side)?
-I'm going to check for Japanese beetles, as you suggested at dusk or early AM, although I've never seen them there during the day. I read your great page about Japanese beetles control. Do you think the water+dishwashing detergent+alcohol solution would be OK?
Thanks a lot again.

Betsy (not verified)

8 years 3 months ago

I have a Morning Glory plant that was doing great, climbing the trellis and now the bottom leaves are turning yellow and looking droopy. It's it a pot, shall I put it in the ground or larger pot, we did not think we were overwatering but we have had a lot of rain lately?