Moonflower is a tender, low-maintenance, perennial vine grown as an annual in North Carolina. It gets its common names from its fragrant, nocturnal, white flowers, which open rapidly over the course of a few minutes. It is a member of the morning glory family (Convolvulaceae). The species epithet is Latin for "white." Plant in locations with well-draining clay, loam, or sandy soil that receive full sun. Moonflower can grow to 15 feet in height and 3 to 6 feet in width. The vines will grow slowly until the weather becomes very warm, at which time their growth rate becomes rapid. Propagate by seeds. Start 4 to 6 weeks before the last spring frost by soaking seeds overnight in warm water or nick with a file to break the seed coat. Since Moonflower is a vertical climbing vine, it needs a support structure like a fence, arbor, or trellis to grow. The plant has 8-inch, heart-shaped leaves and large white trumpet-shaped flowers that open at night and provide a sweet fragrance. Plant it in a cottage, patio, night-time, or pollinator garden where you can fully enjoy the beauty and scent of the showy white flowers while you watch the aerial show of moths as they pollinate the blooms. It is a host plant for the Hummingbird moth ( Macroglossum stellatarum ) as well as Sphinx moth ( sphingidae ). If you would like to overwinter the plant, then grow it in a large container and bring it indoors over the winter. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems. More information on Ipomoea .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
6-feet-12 feet; 12-24 feet
NC region
Coastal
Mature size
Height: 10 ft. 0 in. - 30 ft. 0 in. | Width: 3 ft. 0 in. - 6 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
6 - Vine (vertical)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Climbing; Dense; Spreading
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Broadleaf Evergreen
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Cordate; Ovate
Leaf margin
Entire; Lobed
Leaf value
Showy
Leaf size
> 6 inches long, > 6 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Deep green alternate heart-shaped to rounded-ovate 4 to 8 inches long with entire or slightly lobed margins. Petioles are thick and even sometimes fleshy.
Flower color
White
Flower value
Fragrant; Long Bloom Season; Showy
Flower shape
Funnel; Trumpet
Flower size
3-6 inches
Flower detail
Six inch large, fragrant 5-lobed, fused-petaled white flowers with a light green star center that open late afternoon and close at dawn from mid-summer into fall.
Bloom time
Fall; Summer
Fruit color
Brown/Copper
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit size
< 1 inch long
Fruit detail
Small capsule with acuminate (pointed) tip 1" long split open and contain 4 smooth white seeds
Stem detail
Stems are hairless but some of the climbing stems have projections. Twining stems produce a milky juice when cut and are somewhat prickly
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Origin
Florida, Mexico, Central and South America
Distribution
Introduced into Texas and Oklahoma, sections of Africa and southeast Asia
Wildlife value
Nectar from flowers attracts night-flying moths. Members of the genus Ipomea support the following specialized bees: Melitoma taurea and Cemolobus ipomoeae.
Attracts
Moths; Pollinators
Play value
Wildlife Food Source
Food & Medicine
Fruit type
Capsule
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Container; Hanging Baskets; Patio; Rock Wall; Vertical Spaces