Japanese Morning Glory 'Tie Dye'

Ipomea nil syn Ipomoea imperialis, Pharbitis nil
This soft-stemmed, short-lived, twining perennial is best treated as an annual. M...Read Morearginally frost hardy, it grows to 12' in height. Its stems are covered with hairs, and the leaves are heart-shaped. Large, trumpet-shaped flowers appear from summer through to early fall in a variety of shades.
Zones: 9-12
Cultivation:
Marginally frost hardy to frost tender, they are best suited to warm coastal districts or tropical areas. They prefer moderately fertile, well-drained soil and a sunny position. Care should be taken when choosing species, as some can become extremely invasive in warm districts. Propagate in spring from seed which has been gently filed and pre-soaked to aid germination, or from cuttings in summer (for perennial species).

The Ipomoea nil "Tie Dye" is one of my very favorites and can be easily confused with the flaked strain of Ipomoea purpurea.

I like all the tye dye type of flowers as they are surprising in there color variations. You can have almost solid to streaked or flecked...Read More or half and half they are just sooooo intresting.
:o)
Dee

I planted tie-dye morning glories for the first time this year. I purchased them from a grower on the West Coast. I received 10 seeds a...Read Morend 6 grew. This variety is different in that it grows side shoots. My homemade trellis filled out nicely. I live in Latham, NY and it's a Zone 5 growing zone.

This year the plants were slow to start growing because it was so cool and cloudy. They took off when the weather warmed up and was sunny. Fortunately they didn't stop once the gloomy weather came back. They and the calibrochoa are the only plants to be doing well. They are also hardy. They are thriving despite the times I didn't water them in time. Fortunately, they didn’t drop their leaves. A few turned yellow. I don't recommend you let the soil dry out.

The plants appear to be about 10 feet long. As I mentioned before, they grow side shoots you have to train back to the trellis. The leaves are large, trilobulate, rough in texture, fuzzy, and variegated in color. The flowers are large, round, and single. The color ranges from pale lavender to a true purple. Every flower is different. Tie dye is definitely a good description. It's nice having a lovely surprise to look forward to every day.

The plants are currently growing in a standard windowbox.. Because the leaves and flowers are so large, I hope to get a larger windowbox if possible and create some sort of trellis so they can grow straight up and the flowers are more visible.