Students for Stewardship The Cork Board
← Back to the library

Beach Morning-glory

Ipomoea imperati (eye-poh-MEE-ah im-per-AH-tee)

Family: Convolvulaceae Non-native Vine (vertical)

Beach morning-glory is a perennail vine in the Convolvulaceae (morning glory) family. It is native to the coastlines of tropical and subtropical areas across the globe where it is found sprawling along sandy beaches and dunes. Ipomoea is Greek for ips , "worm", and homoios , or "similar to", refering to the long smooth stems resembling worms. The species imperati is Latin for "ruler" or "emperor". This scrambling, creeping vine trails along the ground reaching great widths of up to 30 feet but is typically no more than 1/2 a foot tall. Growing best on dry to moist sandy soils in full sun. Beach morning-glory is tolerant of heat, drought, and wind, as well as salt spray. Propagate this plant by seed or division. The large, showy funnel shaped whitle flowers open in the morning and close by afternoon blooming from early summer to fall. The stems root at the nodes providing stablization to the sandy dunes on which they grow. Use in coastal landscapes as a groundcover. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Sweet potato weevil and spider mites are occasional problems. More information on Ipomoea .

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 56 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 6 - Vine (vertical) Optimal soil pH Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

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.

Often confused with Ipomoea batatas

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Ground Cover; Vine
Life cycle
Perennial
USDA zones
9a, 9b, 10a, 10b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Sand
Soil pH
Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry | Very Dry
Available space
6-feet-12 feet; 12-24 feet; 24-60 feet
NC region
Coastal
Mature size
Height: 0 ft. 2 in. - 0 ft. 6 in. | Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 30 ft. 0 in.
Canopy layer
6 - Vine (vertical)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Spreading
Texture
Medium
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Elliptical
Leaf feel
Fleshy
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Simple, fleshy, alternate leaves that have a notch in the apex. They vary in shape.
Flower color
Gold/Yellow; White
Flower value
Showy
Flower shape
Funnel
Flower size
1-3 inches
Flower detail
Large (2 in) white with yellow center, fused funnel shaped blooms appear from early summer to October.
Bloom time
Fall; Summer
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit detail
Dry dehiscent capsule displays from September to November
Stem detail
Long smooth stems, roots form at the nodes
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Tropical and Subtropical coastlines
Wildlife value
Bees and hummingbirds are attracted to this plant. Seeds provide food for small mammals.
Attracts
Bees; Hummingbirds; Small Mammals
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Fall
Fruit type
Capsule
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Coastal
Landscape theme
Drought Tolerant Garden; Pollinator Garden
Design feature
Accent
Garden tags
#food source hard mast fruit #food source nectar #hummingbird friendly #food source fall #FACU Piedmont Mountains #butterfly friendly #pollinator plant #problem for dogs #problem for horses #problem for cats #bird friendly #Audubon #coastal plant #Coastal FACU #flowers mid-fall #flowers early summer #showy flowers #flowers mid-summer #white flowers #flowers early fall #flowers late summer #bee friendly #scrambling #small mammals #drought tolerant #salt spray tolerant
Problems & Resistance
Insect problems
Twospotted Spider Mites on Landscape Plants
Problems
Problem for Cats; Problem for Dogs; Problem for Horses
Resistant to
Drought; Erosion; Heat; Salt; Wind
Propagation
Division; Seed
Poison severity
Low
Poison symptoms
Vomiting, large amounts of seeds may cause hallucinations
Toxic principle
Indole alkaloids (Lysergic acid, lysergamide, elymoclavine and chanoclavine)
Contact dermatitis
No
Toxicity summary
Low severity poison

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.