How to identify Blue morning glory (Ipomoea indica)

How to identify Blue morning glory (Ipomoea indica)

Blue morning glory, also known as Blue dawn flower, Koali awa

Blue morning glory displays vigorous growth as a tropical evergreen vine. It features lush, velvety leaves, each deeply lobed, covering expansive areas rapidly. The stems possess the ability to root upon contact with the ground. Its vibrant, trumpet-shaped flowers, up to 3 inches (7.6 cm) across, bloom in the morning exhibiting a deep blue-purple hue, transitioning to violet blue and finally to dark pink as the day progresses. Flowering occurs from late spring to fall, and while leaves can handle temperatures down to 20-25°F (-6 to -4°C), the plant often recovers from colder snaps.

Lifespan: Perennial, Annual, Biennial

Plant Type: Vine, Herb

Leaf Type: Evergreen

Quickly Identify Blue morning glory

Velvety, deeply lobed leaves covering expansive areas rapidly.

Vibrant flowers transitioning from deep blue-purple to dark pink.

Tri-lobed or heart-shaped leaves with pronounced vein patterns.

Soft, velvety stems with twining/climbing habit, slightly reddish in areas.

Large, funnel-shaped flowers in clusters, sepals measuring 0.55-0.87 inches (14-22 mm).

Detailed Traits of Blue morning glory

Leaf Features

The leaves of blue morning glory are tri-lobed or heart-shaped, measuring 5-18 cm (2-7 inches) long and 3.5-16 cm (1.4-6.3 inches) wide. They are arranged alternately along the stem, with one leaf per node on alternating sides. The leaves exhibit a vibrant green color, have a slightly rough texture, and pronounced vein patterns radiating from the base towards the edges. These features make the leaves distinctive and identifiable, especially the characteristic lobed or heart-like shape.

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Flower Features

Blue morning glory flowers are large, funnel-shaped, and range in color from blue to violet with a pink to pinkish white tube. They measure 2.7-3.9 inches (7-10 cm) wide and 2-3.9 inches (5-10 cm) long. These flowers bloom in clusters of 2 to 12 from the leaf axils. The sepals are long and narrow, measuring 0.55-0.87 inches (14-22 mm).

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Stem Features

The stem of blue morning glory is characterized by its softness due to a covering of fine, silky hairs, giving it a somewhat velvety texture. It is typically green and can be slightly reddish in some areas, with a thickness ranging around 0.2 to 0.4 inches (5 to 10 mm). The stems exhibit a twining or climbing habit, often seen branching frequently. These young stems are particularly notable for their flexible and softly hairy exterior, facilitating easy identification.

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Fruit Features

The fruit of blue morning glory is a type of round, papery capsule that is dry and dehiscent, splitting open at maturity to release seeds. While the production of these fruits is rare, they typically measure approximately 0.5 inches (1.3 cm) in diameter when they do occur. The color of these capsules is often a muted brown, harmonizing with the drying foliage. Within the capsules, the seeds are generally non-viable, failing to germinate even if found. The sparse fruiting coupled with seed inviability contributes to the scarcity of naturally occurring offspring from these fruits.

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Blue morning glory and Their Similar Plants

Sweet potato vine vs. Blue morning glory: What's The Difference?

While most assume that the sweet potato vine is a potato, it is not considered nightshade. However, sweet potatoes and potatoes both belong to the order of Solanales. Its culinary use is wide and can be fried, baked or boiled.

Common morning glory vs. Blue morning glory: What's The Difference?

Common morning glory natives in Mexico and Central America and is commonly planted as an ornamental plant prized for its colorful trumpet-shaped flowers. It is naturalized in temperate and subtropical areas globally and in many places, always grown weedy and is considered to be invasive in many parts of the world.

Cypress vine vs. Blue morning glory: What's The Difference?

Cypress vine is a beautiful vining plant with fern-like foliage and star-shaped red flowers. Cypress vine is resistant to deer and attractive to hummingbirds and butterflies. It thrives in moist but not soggy soil, with full sun and a structure to climb on. This striking plant is toxic like its cousin, the Morning Glory.

Mexican morning glory vs. Blue morning glory: What's The Difference?

This vining annual, the mexican morning glory, is a great climber for trellises, with heart-shaped leaves and showy blue blooms. Morning glories get their name because they open in the morning and close in the brighter afternoon light.

Moonflower vs. Blue morning glory: What's The Difference?

Moonflower (Ipomoea alba) is a flowering plant that blooms at night. Moonflower is also called the moonflower or moon vine, and it is native to Argentina, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Florida in the United States. Moonflower is cultivated for ornamental purposes and is considered an invasive species in some areas.

Mile-A-Minute Vine vs. Blue morning glory: What's The Difference?

Mile-A-Minute Vine (Ipomoea cairica) is seen all over the Hawaiian Islands because centuries ago, Polynesian explorers carried in their oceangoing canoes. It contains hydrogen cyanide so never follow the ancient Polynesians' example of roasting the tubers of the plant and eating them. It is always considered an invasive weed.

Man of the earth vs. Blue morning glory: What's The Difference?

Man of the earth, or Ipomoea pandurata, is a vining perennial native to North America. Bees and hummingbirds are fond of the white flowers. It grows quickly, and the tubers in the ground are difficult to remove, so it may cause problems for the garden.

Saltmarsh morning-glory vs. Blue morning glory: What's The Difference?

Saltmarsh morning-glory (Ipomoea sagittata) is a trailing perennial vine that will grow to 1.8 m long. Native to the southern United States, it can be found in Florida’s marshes and mangrove swamps. It blooms in summer and fall with showy, funnel-shaped pink to purple flowers that bloom in the morning and close in the afternoon. Thrives in full sun to partial shade.

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Key Facts About Blue morning glory

Attributes of Blue morning glory

Plant Type

Vine, Herb

Plant Height

1.2 m to 4.5 m

Spread

60 cm to 90 cm

Leaf Color

Green

Flower Size

6 cm to 8 cm

Flower Color

Blue

Purple

Fruit Color

Brown

Black

Stem Color

Green

Blue

The Toxicity of Blue morning glory

Slightly Toxic to Humans

Toxic to Cats

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Scientific Classification of Blue morning glory

Phylum

Vascular plants

Class

Dicotyledons

Order

Nightshades, bindweeds, gooseweeds, and allies

Family

Morning-glory

Genus

Morning glories

Species

Blue morning glory (Ipomoea indica)

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Distribution Map of Blue morning glory

Blue morning glory is native to parts of America, Asia, Europe and Africa. The distribution of this plant has been global, from New Zealand to Africa, where it's cultivated as an ornamental. It is considered invasive in California in the US. It is commonly found in some subtropical forests.

Native

Cultivated

Invasive

Potentially invasive

Exotic

No species reported

Learn More About the Blue morning glory

A Comprehensive Guide to Blue morning glory How to Grow and Care for Blue morning glory