Moonflowers

 I have terrible luck growing morning glories or their relatives, the moonflowers. They are supposed to be easy to grow-- invasive, even, in some areas-- but you wouldn't know it by the way they grow for me.

Part of the reason I have trouble with them is that the seeds require nicking, soaking, or both, before being planted, and I do not have the patience to bother with this. But Don does! He nicked the seeds for me before I planted them just below our front porch. We have old wrought iron railings there, and I hoped the plants would grow there and be pretty.

It worked! Sort of... only one plant grew well, a moonflower, but it was well worth it.

Moonflowers on the porch with potted purple passion in the background

They are called moonflowers because they are white and round, like a full moon, and bloom in the early evening and at night. They are pollinated by nocturnal creatures such as moths. Some varieties smell wonderful, but mine have a very faint scent. They cover the porch railings so gracefully, and the flowers look so good and dramatic in bloom, that Don says we are definitely going to try them again next year. But we will try nicking and soaking the seeds before planting, and keeping the seeds well watered until established, to see if we can't get more of them to germinate and grow.

Moonflowers in bloom

If you decide to try morning glories or moonflowers, be careful about planting them around young children. They are toxic, especially the seeds, and can be fatal!

I found a short Youtube video of a moonflower blooming in real time.

Moonflower vines cover the wrought iron on our front porch