Content
Planting and caring for perennial morning glory is easy, making it suitable even for novice gardeners. A plant of the liana type takes the form of the support offered to it. The crop is grown for vertical gardening, in flowerpots and as a ground cover plant. The climbing perennial vine is distinguished by its decorative, delicate flowering and large volume of green mass.
General description of the plant
Ipomoea perennial is a herbaceous vine belonging to the Convolvulaceae family. It also has a name - fabritis. Characterized by strong branching and rapid growth of creeping stems.
The leaves are most often large, heart-shaped, located opposite or alternate on the stem. The foliage is slightly wrinkled and has long petioles. The foliage is created dense.
Flowers are funnel-shaped, simple or double, 5-12 cm in diameter. Various colors:
- white;
- purple;
- pink;
- blue;
- with a combination of two or more shades.
The edges of the petals are smooth or wavy. Many species emit a subtle aroma.
The flowering feature of most varieties is that the flowers open in the early morning and close in bright sun. In cloudy weather, perennial morning glory may remain open throughout the day. Flowering continues until late autumn. The culture is unpretentious in cultivation. In the photo below, with proper planting and proper care of perennial morning glory, you can observe lush flowering.
The seeds in the fruit-box appear at the end of summer. The perennial vine can reproduce by self-sowing. Seed germination lasts 2-4 years.
Perennial morning glory is unpretentious to soil composition. Does not tolerate open sunny areas well and requires constant watering. Requires support. When used as a border plant, constant shortening of the shoots is necessary.
Varieties
Growing wild, perennial morning glory grows in a subtropical climate and has about 500 varieties. Two types of herbaceous plants are suitable for human consumption: water spinach (more popular in Asian countries) and sweet potato, which produces edible tubers. About 20 varieties are used in gardening.
Moonflower
Morning glory has been cultivated for about 200 years. It is distinguished by large white flowers, about 10-12 cm in diameter. White morning glory is a nocturnal plant, flowering begins in the evening and continues until the early morning. The flowers have a pleasant almond aroma and have a shimmering effect. Flowers can remain open in cloudy weather. Each flower lives for one day. The liana is highly branched, the side shoots are long, the leaves are large, creating a dense, light-proof carpet.
The vine stems grow up to 3 m, and the shoots can reach 6 m.Flowering begins in mid-summer or August and continues until October. It differs from other species in the good survival rate of layering during reproduction.
Purple
One of the most common and popular species for growing. The liana is long, reaches 8 m. The stems are slightly pubescent, the leaves are oval or oblong, arranged oppositely. The flowers grow 7 cm in diameter and are collected in clusters. Natural color is purple. Varieties with a variety of shades have been bred using selective methods:
- red;
- pink;
- lilac;
- dark purple.
With and without edging, as well as with different colors in the middle.
Popular varieties of purple morning glory variety:
- scarlet Scarlett O'Hara;
- deep purple Gypsy;
- raspberry Caprice;
- blue Giselle.
The number of varieties is constantly increasing. It has been known in cultivation for more than 300 years.
Tricolor
The tricolor variety has been grown since 1830. The length of the shoots is 4-5 m, the leaves are heart-shaped, located opposite. Flowers are 8-10 cm in diameter, formed in bunches. The flowers of the red and blue morning glory variety change color throughout their life cycle. They bloom with a blue tint, and when they wither they turn pink.
The Butterfly of Paradise variety has a mixture of pink and burgundy shades. The Flying Saucer variety is distinguished by large-sized flowers. The color of the variety is characterized by light blue uneven stripes on a white background. Each flower has a unique pattern and a delicate aroma. The Sky Blue morning glory variety was awarded a prize by the Royal Horticultural Society of Great Britain. The variety has a delicate blue tint.
Cairo
Cairo morning glory is distinguished by its original leaves, which have a palmate shape. The bright green leaves are arranged transversely and have 5-7 lobes.Tuberous root. The stems are bare and grow up to 5 m long.
The main color is lilac, violet-pink. Less common is a white shade with a contrasting dark center. Numerous flowers grow singly or in small groups. They are small in size - 5-6 cm in diameter. The species is characterized by strong branching and rapid growth.
Nile
Morning glory Nile for decorating gardens is widespread in Japan, where it is called Asagao. The liana grows 2.5-3 m in size, the stem forms a strong, flowers - 7-10 cm. The leaves are oval, wide, with long petioles, dark green. The foliage is dense, forming a dense carpet. Photos of morning glory perennial Nile illustrate the variety of forms of the flower, which comes with different edge relief and doubleness.
Bells of the Pikoti variety are blue and red with a white edge and slight terry. The Serenada variety is distinguished by double cherry-red gramophones. The Chocolate variety has an original color of brown and dusty pink. The variety is distinguished by a longer period when the flower is in an open state.
Kvamoklit
Ipomoea Kvamoklit is distinguished by small star-shaped flowers. The predominant shade is red. Quamoclite blooms during the day and curls up in the evening, unlike other varieties. The vine forms a short one, from 1.5 to 3.5 m long. Kvamoklit has several subspecies with different leaf shapes.
The leaves of some varieties have a characteristic heart-shaped shape. Other species have original pinnate leaves. They are cut into small segments, reminiscent of needles. At the base of the plant the leaves grow larger than at the top.
Perennial morning glory is a poisonous plant.The seeds of some varieties contain psychotropic and toxic substances.
Reproduction methods
Morning glory is propagated by seed. Seeds with flowers of various shades are selected in specialized stores. Also, perennial morning glory reproduces well by self-sowing, but without causing trouble to the gardener.
Planting perennial morning glory
Planting perennial morning glory is possible in seedlings and without seedlings. Before sowing, the seeds are soaked for several days. They are sown in open ground at a constant temperature of +15°C and above. Sow several pieces in one nest, deepening them by 1-2 cm. The distance between nests is maintained at 20-25 cm.
It is recommended to plant morning glory in sunny, windless places. The soil for planting must be loose and permeable. Shoots appear in 5-7 days. Excessively elongated seedlings can be slightly buried. From the very beginning of growth, it is necessary to install supports for bindweeds.
Aftercare
Perennial morning glory needs to be watered with warm water once every few days. It is more favorable to fertilize with fertilizers for flowers, but without excess. Highly nutritious soil provokes the growth of leaf mass with small blooms.
Trimming
Pruning is done to limit growth, if necessary. It is also used to give various shapes to the plant, as well as when used as a ground cover crop. The plant responds favorably to pruning.
Preparing for winter
Ipomoea is not frost-resistant per year, so the vine is cut off for the winter. For indoor storage, you can transplant it into pots.
Disease and pest control
Perennial morning glory can be affected by spider mites and aphids. To get rid of insects, vines are sprayed with water or insecticides in case of a large area affected.
Diseased plants are removed, and fungicides are used to disinfect the soil and healthy vines.
Application in site design
Perennial morning glory is used for decorative purposes for vertical landscaping. The climbing plant can be planted along arches and pergolas, cones, decorate gazebos, and make green fences. Perennial morning glory will quickly camouflage old and outbuildings. Plants can be guided or pruned to create the desired shape.
In the design of the site, perennial morning glory is combined with:
- sweet peas;
- decorative beans;
- campsis;
- hops;
- wild grapes.
In flower beds, morning glory sweet potatoes are planted with petunias, pelargoniums and coleus. From the flowerpot, morning glory can be transplanted into open ground at any time. Perennial morning glory is not recommended to be planted next to light-loving plants.
Conclusion
Planting and caring for perennial morning glory does not cause gardeners any trouble. Seeds can be planted by direct sowing into the ground. For care, it is necessary to create support and constant watering. With the help of climbing vines with delicate flowering and large foliage, you can create various decorative solutions and shaded corners.
