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Common Morning Glory
Ipomoea purpurea (eye-poh-MEE-a pur-PUR-ee-uh)
Family: Convolvulaceae
Non-native Vine (vertical)
Vine (vertical) Non-native A naturalized weed in cultivated and fallow fields; sometimes sold as I. nil ; self-seeds and can become invasive; many improved cultivars are available; seeds should be scarified and soaked in water for 12-24 hours to aid germination; prefers a well-drained, poor, sandy soil but is tolerant of most soil conditions. More information on Ipomoea .
Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗
NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 55 attributes.
How it fits the guild
Guild layer
6 - Vine (vertical)
Optimal soil pH
Acid (<6.0); 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.
Full plant profile
Growing Conditions
Plant type
Annual; Vine
Life cycle
Annual
USDA zones
2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b, 11a, 11b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Clay; High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt); Sand; Shallow Rocky
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Occasionally Dry | Occasionally Wet
Growth rate
Rapid
Canopy layer
6 - Vine (vertical)
Form & Appearance
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Cordate
Leaf margin
Entire
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Medium green heart-shaped leaves with a pointed top smooth margins, long petioles
Flower color
Blue; Pink; Purple/Lavender; Red/Burgundy; White
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Cyme
Flower shape
Funnel; Trumpet
Flower size
1-3 inches
Flower detail
2" showy flowers (white, pink, crimson, purple, blue) open in the morning and last a few hours; flowers mid-summer to fall
Bloom time
Fall; Summer
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
Globoid seed capsule 1/3" wide dark wedge-shaped seeds.
Stem color
Purple/Lavender
Stem detail
Tetrate, brown-purple hairy stems
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Tropical & Subtropical America
Wildlife value
Members of the genus Ipomea support the following specialized bees: Melitoma taurea and Cemolobus ipomoeae.
Attracts
Butterflies; Hummingbirds; Pollinators; Specialized Bees
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Vertical Spaces
Garden tags
#deciduous #specialized bees #nectar plant #pollinator plant #showy flowers #flowers mid-summer #flowers late summer #self-seeding #problem for dogs #problem for horses #problem for cats #flowers early fall #wildlife friendly #weedy #twining
Problems & Resistance
Problems
Problem for Cats; Problem for Dogs; Problem for Horses; Weedy
Propagation
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.