Moonflower Vines In Late October are Still Growing and Blooming

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Despite the cooler nights and wet cloudy days, the Moonflower Vines are gorgeous. Mostly a gardener's treat because they are planted where no one else goes, they make me gasp every time I walk over there.

Ipomoea alba noctiflora syn. Calonyction aculeatum is a Morning Glory relative and may be blooming its heart out because of the cloudy days rather than in spite of them.
Morning Glories open during the day and Moon Flowers open in the evening and early morning, as well as on cloudy days.
Cold hardy only to zone 9, it won't survive the winter here in zone 7, but maybe some seeds will fall and keep this beauty coming back to climb all over everything in its path.

Look at the bud before it opens and those purple stems in this photo taken yesterday.
Have you tried Google for Gardeners yet?
Here's the link. Try it and let me know if you find what you are looking for. I have not.
I still find Dogpile.com to be the most efficient search engine, though I try every new one that comes along. And, Dogpile searches benefit our furry friends.

Comments

Jeff said…
When we lived in NJ, we grew moonflowers every year. We had a couple of very large pots on our deck and we enjoyed the generous white flowers during the evening and early morning hours.

We made a huge trellis to hold them, as the vines grew very large. To provide interest during the day, we interplanted with cardinal creeper. This was a super combination and I miss it here in the desert.

Thanks for bringing back those memories - [ Jeff ]
October 28, 2009 at 11:35 AM
Molly Day said…
While I was researching the column, I found many complaints about moonflowrs: seeds won't germinate, vines grow too large, they come back too strong from seeds that fall on the ground.

When those flowers open they are so dramatic that for all but the tiniest garden they add a spectular element.

Thanks for sharing your idea of growing them on a trellis with a vine that flowers during the day. Great tip.
October 29, 2009 at 4:23 AM
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