Moonvine- Ipomea alba

I have been growing moonvine for a number of years. I have strings that run up to the eaves of the house and the vines scramble up the strings and frequently flower on the roof. This year I planted some to run on the railings around the stoop and they have been exceptionally pleasing to me. Foe several weeks I have been getting 2 or 3 blooms every night. I like having them where I can get a closer look (and a better sniff!) at the stark white flowers. I go out in the evening and enjoy their fragrance much better than when they were on the roof. The flowers are about as big as a saucer , the leaves are dark green and heart shaped, and they are certainly worth the minimal effort they need to get them going. I grow mine in big pots so I do not have to do a lot of digging. The seed are large, about the size of an English pea, and for best germination should be soaked, starting in hot water, for 24 hours. Keep moist till germination is complete and get them off to a fast start. They grow best when the weather is hot. Unlike many morning glories they are not eager reseeders and you do not have to worry about them taking over the earth. I have had 2 or 3/year to come back, but never an abundance. And a good thing that is, too, as one vine can cover a large space. They are best planted by the porch or door yard so they can be enjoyed in the evening. They really should be called evening glories as that is when they bloom. The flowers last one night and then are gone, but more will come the next evening.

Moonvines

 

Here is my moonvine that is blooming now. It is an annual and a mixed up member of the morning glory family. It is Ipomoea calantha. Instead of opening in the morning it opens in early evening, about 6:15 CDST for me. The flowers unfurl rapidly enough for you to see them open.They release bit of sweet fragrance as they open. They should be planted where they can be easily enjoyed in the evenings. They are strong climbers and will scramble to the highest reaches of whatever they can find that accommodates their upward thrust.I have strings from the ground to the eaves of my porch on the sunny side. They provide some afternoon shade also. I can see them out my kitchen window in the evening as I prepare supper.These flowers are about 5 inches across.
Although moonvine seed can be difficult to germinate, you can grow them easily after germination. I soak my seed overnight beginning in hot water from the faucet. They next day I plant them, keep them moist, and as soon as they are up, jump back. They do grow rapidly. There is not much use to plant them early because like okra, they prefer hot weather. They usually begin to flower for me from a June planting in late July. They continue through August and the hot days of September.
I collect a small handful of seed for next year when I pull the vines down after frost. Some may fall and come up next year, but I have had only limited luck with leaving them to their own devices and prefer the insurance of saving my seed. Besides, I might want to share some .

What's Blooming Now: Moonvines

 

Even though it is late for moonflowers, mine got a late start so I am glad they are blooming at all.Moonflowers typically start in high summer and continue till the seed production causes them to cut back on flowering.These fast growing vines have heart shaped leaves, but their real beauty is the stark white flowers which open in the early evening. When the humidity is low enough, they open so quickly that you can see the movement. They frequently shake the vine as they burst forth. They are said to emit a sweet fragrance as they open but I have never experienced this. Frequently the bloosoms open so far above ground that it is hard to get close enough for a sniff. I usually train these up nylon cord on the west end of the porch so that they provide afternoon shade in the heat of summer. They have no trouble reaching the roof,10-12 feet .
Sometimes the seed will volunteer where they dropped the summer before because this vine is an annual. Usually I collect some seed to make sure I get some started when I want them, that is , early. Moonvines have a hard seed coat and that may be the reason so few seedlings volunteer. When I am ready to plant the seed, I start them soaking in hot water (from the faucet, not boiling) and leave them overnight. By the morning the seed coats are beginning to loosen and I plant the soaked seed where I want them to grow. I water for the first few days so that they do not dry out again which would kill the seed. In just a few days you will see the large coteledons spring forth and they are on their way.
It is nice to sit on the porch after supper and watch them open in the twilight and sip a mint juliep. Actually, forget the mint juliep. That is the worst tasting drink I ever had (I think).