Ipomoea

The genus Ipomoea, or Pharbitis (Ipomoea), includes about 500 species. These are annual and perennial, tender or relatively hardy, climbing or creeping herbaceous and shrubby plants. All of them are characterized by a typical funnel-shaped flower shape. Ipomoea lobata is a perennial hardy climbing species up to 3 m high with three-lobed leaves and purple inflorescences with a transition to yellow and white tones. Blooms throughout the summer. Ipomoea purpurea (I. purpurea) is a climbing annual species with shoots slightly branching from the base, up to 4 m high, with heart-shaped pointed leaves at the ends and flowers on short peduncles, in the axils of leaves of a purple-purple color. Numerous varieties have simple or double flowers, white, blue, blue, pink, red, dark lilac, purple, two-tone. Flowers are closed for the day. Morning glory tricolor (I. tricolor) - perennial climbing, up to 3 m high, with heart-shaped leaves and flowers with a pubescent calyx and corolla with a white with a red edge of the mouth, which gradually turns purple. Varieties with blue and white stripes are grown. The flowers last only one morning, but new ones immediately appear in their place throughout the summer. Morning glory palmate (I. palmata, or I. cairica) is a herbaceous perennial climbing, rather unpretentious species with wide five-lobed leaves. Bright red morning glory (I. coccinea) is a herbaceous annual climbing species with egg-shaped leaves and red flowers. Horstfall's Morning Glory (I. horstfalliae) is a perennial climbing, relatively hardy species with woody shoots.

The genus Ipomoea, or Pharbitis (Ipomoea), includes about 500 species. These are annual and perennial, tender or relatively hardy, climbing or creeping herbaceous and shrubby plants. All of them are characterized by a typical funnel-shaped flower shape.

Ipomoea lobata is a perennial hardy climbing species up to 3 m high with three-lobed leaves and purple inflorescences with a transition to yellow and white tones. Blooms throughout the summer.

Ipomoea purpurea (I. purpurea) is a climbing annual species with shoots slightly branching from the base, up to 4 m high, with heart-shaped pointed leaves at the ends and flowers on short peduncles, in the axils of leaves of a purple-purple color. Numerous varieties have simple or double flowers, white, blue, blue, pink, red, dark lilac, purple, two-tone. Flowers are closed for the day.

Morning glory tricolor (I. tricolor) - perennial climbing, up to 3 m high, with heart-shaped leaves and flowers with a pubescent calyx and corolla with a white with a red edge of the mouth, which gradually turns purple. Varieties with blue and white stripes are grown. The flowers last only one morning, but new ones immediately appear in their place throughout the summer.

Morning glory palmate (I. palmata, or I. cairica) is a herbaceous perennial climbing, rather unpretentious species with wide five-lobed leaves.

Bright red morning glory (I. coccinea) is a herbaceous annual climbing species with egg-shaped leaves and red flowers.

Horstfall's Morning Glory (I. horstfalliae) is a perennial climbing, relatively hardy species with woody shoots.

Cultivation

Morning glory trees are used for vertical gardening-decorating walls, balconies, gazebos, windows, and since they do not tolerate frost, even perennials are grown mainly as annuals. In areas with mild climates, perennials can be grown outdoors as climbing plants. In the garden, they prefer light, loose soil enriched with organic fertilizer (at the rate of 20 kg/m2. Potted specimens are grown in a mixture prepared on the basis of peat, earth and sand (1:1:1), and a complex long-acting fertilizer is applied at the rate of 30 g per bucket of soil. Morning glory trees need good lighting and regular watering. Climbing perennial species are cut off, leaving shoots 7-10 cm long.

Morning glory trees are used for vertical gardening-decorating walls, balconies, gazebos, windows, and since they do not tolerate frost, even perennials are grown mainly as annuals. In areas with mild climates, perennials can be grown outdoors as climbing plants. In the garden, they prefer light, loose soil enriched with organic fertilizer (at the rate of 20 kg/m2. Potted specimens are grown in a mixture prepared on the basis of peat, earth and sand (1:1:1), and a complex long-acting fertilizer is applied at the rate of 30 g per bucket of soil. Morning glory trees need good lighting and regular watering. Climbing perennial species are cut off, leaving shoots 7-10 cm long.

Location

They require open sun or a very well-lit place protected from the wind.

Temperature

Perennial species do not tolerate frost. In a protected place, morning glory can not tolerate subzero temperatures for long - the aboveground part dies. Plants do not tolerate a decrease in temperature below 7-13 °C during intensive growth and development.

Watering

In the spring and summer period, watering should be frequent and plentiful.

Care

Remove damaged branches, leaves, and wilted flowers.

Reproduction

In early spring, perennial species are sown in containers, and annual seeds are sown immediately to a permanent place. Cover the seeds with a thin layer of soil in a moist (but not wet) state; place them in a place protected from intense light and maintain the temperature at 18-21 °C. When the seedlings of perennials get stronger, they are transplanted at a distance of 7 cm from each other.

Diseases

The shoots of ipomoea are damaged by the fungus Vermicularia ipomoearum. Damaged whips are removed. Similarly, the leaves are removed if spots are found on them-the result of damage by fungi of the genera Alternaria and Cercospora. The remaining parts of the infected plant are treated with appropriate fungicides.

Acquisition

Ipomoea seeds can easily be purchased wherever plants are sold, from gardening centers to supermarkets. Make sure that the seeds are fresh, check the expiration date indicated on the package.