Morning Glory Tricolor Heavenly Blue

Morning Glory Tricolor Heavenly Blue — variety description

Morning Glory Tricolor Heavenly Blue (Ipomoea tricolor) is an annual flower of the bindweed family (Convolvulaceae). Morning Glory Tricolor Heavenly Blue is a wonderful annual vine with large heart-shaped leaves and azure-blue trumpet-shaped flowers.

Opening in the morning to reveal their white and yellow throats, the flowers, 8-13 cm across, close in the afternoon, hence the common name.

The plant produces new flowers every day and blooms continuously from early summer to early autumn.

It is valued for its fast-developing climbing habit.

Fast-growing, this annual vine will twine its soft stems to 2.5-3 m in length and 90-180 cm in width in one season.

Self-seeds easily.

Morning glory is the fastest climbing flower — within a few weeks it covers a fence, gazebo or balcony railing with trumpets in blue, purple, pink and white.

Key features

• Measured germination rate of the batch: 88%
• Seeds per packet: 47–64 pcs (2 g)
• Seed origin: Tanzania
• Sowing: March and April; direct
• Flowering: June – September
• Position: sunny spot

When to sow Morning Glory Tricolor Heavenly Blue

Morning Glory Tricolor Heavenly Blue seeds are sown in March and April. The plants flower from June to September. The months are a guide for a temperate climate — in warmer areas sow 1–2 weeks earlier, in cooler or upland areas, later.

How to sow and grow Morning Glory Tricolor Heavenly Blue

• Sowing method: direct
• Depth: 1–2 cm
• Spacing: 20–30 cm, next to a support
• Germination: 5–10 days at 20–25 °C
• Position: sunny spot

Thrives in full sun in average, evenly moist, well-drained soils. Sow seeds indoors 4-6 weeks before the last spring frost, or outdoors once the danger of frost has passed. Before planting, scrape hard-coated seeds with a file or soak them overnight in warm water. Soil depth: 1 cm. Maintain a temperature of about 20°C and keep the compost moist. The plants are extremely sensitive to root disturbance, even when very small, and should be potted on almost immediately after they germinate. Toxic to dogs, toxic to cats, toxic to horses.

Soak the seeds for 12–24 hours or lightly nick the seed coat. Sow directly into warm soil next to a trellis, fence or string. Do not over-fertilise — rich soil produces leaves instead of flowers.

Flowering and uses

The flowers open in the morning and close in the afternoon; flowers from July until the frosts. The seeds are poisonous — keep away from children and animals.

Frequently asked questions

When should Morning Glory Tricolor Heavenly Blue be sown?

The recommended sowing months are March and April. Sowing method: direct.

How many seeds are in the packet?

The packet contains 47–64 seeds, pack size 2 g.

What is the germination rate of the seeds?

The measured germination rate of this batch is 88%. The test was carried out under controlled laboratory conditions; in the field, emergence depends on soil, temperature and moisture.

Why are morning glory seeds soaked before sowing?

The seed coat is hard — soaking for 12–24 hours speeds up germination to a few days.

How tall does morning glory grow?

Depending on the variety — 2–4 m in one season, if it has support.