Black Morning Glory Seeds

Black Morning Glory is a striking selection of Ipomoea purpurea grown for its deep, velvety near-black funnel blooms that glow in the morning sun and fade as the day warms. The trumpet-shaped flowers, about 3-6 cm wide, open in the morning and last only a few hours, yet appear in fresh waves from mid-summer through autumn. As a vigorous twining vine it quickly dresses trellises, fences, and arbours, making it a favourite ornamental climber for walls, balconies, and garden screens.

Planting

The seeds have a hard coat, so scarify them by nicking with a knife or rubbing with sandpaper, then soak in water for 12-24 hours. Direct-sow outdoors after the last frost once soil warms to about 18 C, or start indoors 4-6 weeks earlier. Sow about 1.3 cm deep in full sun with 6 or more hours of direct light. Seedlings emerge in roughly 7-14 days; thin plants to about 20-30 cm apart and give them a trellis or fence to climb.

Fertilizing

Feed monthly through the growing season with a balanced 10-10-10 fertilizer. Avoid over-feeding, especially with nitrogen, since excess encourages lush leaves at the expense of flowers.

Care

Grow in average, well-drained soil kept evenly moist but never waterlogged; established vines tolerate some drought. Watch for spider mites in hot, dry weather, plus occasional aphids or whitefly. This vine can reach 1.8-3 m and self-seeds readily. Note the seeds are toxic if eaten and the plant is harmful to cats, dogs, and horses.