Ipomoea Species, Moonflower, Moon Vine, Giant White Moonflower, Evening Glory

I grew mine from seed in a moist peat pellet in a heated propagator last summer (I uploaded a timelapse video of the seed sprouting on yo...Read Moreutube, that you might find interesting, entitled 'fast growing moonflower vine - seedling timelapse'). It grew about 6'/1.8m and flowered getting about half a day of sun, in regularly fertilised, moist soil. It seems most fragrant when watered in the afternoon on a warm evening and starts flowering from mid Spring.
A morning misting seems to also be beneficial, as it deadheading spent flowers, to preventing them going to seed.
Last winter it lost all but a few small leaves (mid winter temperature was down to around 5°C/40°F), but the dormant vine came to life early spring filling out the top of the v-shaped, 6'x1.5' trellis I installed on the bamboo stake it was planted with (best not to disturb the soil once planted, or it will most likely suddenly die).

Update (8 Jan 16); it's now mid summer in Sydney, and my dense moonflower vine has been producing its large white delicate flowers on a daily basis, but I could hardly smell the fragrance. Today however, with a daytime temperature of 23°C/73°F, and the fragrance is wafting a several yards/metres. So I suspect you need moist soil, and a warm air temperature (at least 23°C) to enjoy the sweet smell of these flowers at a distance.

I have both kinds--the bushy and the vine ones. I just would like to know how to harvest the vine ones seeds? I can't find out how to d...Read Moreo it. Is it like the other ones?

I didn't have good luck with this one. Got a small plant from a local nursery. Planted it next to a huge Clematis growing up the side of ...Read Moreour house. Grew to about 8 feet, only had 2 short-lived blooms all summer and neither were very fragrant. Would not plant again.

I've been living with, loving and planting Moonflowers for 6 decades! We had both Moonflowers and Morning Glories at our dairy farm when ...Read MoreI was a child and I learned how to get them started from my beloved Gran, who grew everything from seed or cuttings.

Now, she would use a tea towel back then, but I've since switched to paper towels for the ease and disposable factor. This is what we do:

Soak the seeds overnight in a small dish, starting with lukewarm water. The next morning, take a water-proof tray with a slight lip and line the tray with two paper towels (for thickness). Drain the seeds and lay them onto the paper towels and then carefully pour fresh lukewarm water over them until the paper towels are hydrated. Then, place just one layer of paper towels over this and hydrate that, making sure that everything is very moist. Cover with waxed paper, NOT cling film, as that will suffocate the seeds.

Keep this tray in a warm spot in the kitchen where you can keep your eyes on the moisture level of the tray: DO NOT ALLOW TO DRY OUT!!!! Within 3-4 days, the seed coat will *burst* and the tap root will emerge. Allow the root to become 1" and then transplant each seed into a very small 2" pot of soil. Allow the seedling to get to 3-4 inches tall, and then transplant them into their permanent home.

This works 100% of the time for me with 0% transplant shock! Usually you get 10 seeds in a package and about 2-3 will be duds, so plan accordingly with how many packets of seeds you need to buy for the coverage that you want. Hope this helps anyone interested in growing these beauties. :D

This species requires a longer season than the usual morning glories (Ipomoea tricolor). Here in the north (Massachusetts Z6a) it needs a...Read Mores much sun and heat as you can give it. Even so, it often comes into bloom around Labor Day. Give it something to climb on.

Here where the growing season is short, seeds are best started indoors 6-8 weeks before last frost date. Soak seeds overnight and/or nick the seed coat before planting.

Rots in cool soils---don't plant out till the soil has fully warmed, a week or two after last frost.

Hates transplanting.

The huge flowers open in the early evening and close the next morning.

The comments here referring to a bushy plant that does not climb are talking about Jimson weed, Datura stramonium. That is a toxic plant that's a noxious weed here, and in my state its planting is illegal.

The first time I tried this plant some years ago, I had very little success in getting it to germinate. I then did some research and fou...Read Morend out that scarifying the seeds helps greatly, as well as soaking the seeds in half water and half hydrogen peroxide solution for 24 hours. When the seed coat cracks, then it is ready to be sowed. This type of impomoea likes richer soil than the tricolor types, such as heavenly blues. I plant the heavenly blues in regular soil here and they grow about 20-30 feet by fall. I mix some miracle grow potting mix in with the soil in the area where the moonflowers will go. They have reached about 15-17 feet by fall. I wish we had a longer growing season here in Pennsylvania so these would stick around longer. But both have reseeded themselves and come back the following year. I also have collected the seeds and started them indoors to get a head start in spring.
I have also tried folding them in a moist paper towel and then sealing it in a plastic bag to retain moisture. That method works well too to get them to germinate.
If collecting the seeds yourself they do not need to be stratified over winter or before planting. however, seeds I gather myself I do soak in hydrogen peroxide for about 15-20 minutes to remove all fungal and bacterial pathogens before germinating.

This is a beautiful and very fragrant plant. The smell of the flower reminds me of the beach. Although some say it likes heat I have foun...Read Mored that it thrives better in warm not to hot weather as long as it has moist soil. Here in NC it is very hot and humid most days. The Moon Flower does not like to be transplanted so make sure you put the seeds where you want them to grow and make sure you keep them watered. When I bought the pack of seeds I had read that it's hard to get the seeds to germinate and when I finally planted them I put all 4 in the pot, 2 survived but I transplanted 1 and it died. Other than that I am in love with this beautiful flower. It is much like a morning glory in that it blooms at night instead of the morning. As long as you keep track of the vines it doesn't get out of hand. I just wrapped mine up a trellis and it did perfectly!! I hope y'all are enjoying yours as much as I do mine!!

Santa Rosa, CA - Sunset zone 14/15, USDA 9b/10a

With almost 140 comments I'm probably restating some things. But earlier t...Read Morehere were comments about Ipomoea alba growing in shade - moonflower is a heat loving plant, I've got one that is blooming now in half day sun and there's a huge one at Annie's in Richmond that is completely shaded and blooming like nobody's business. On the contrary, in Richmond it seldom gets very warm during the summer. Possibly feeding is the answer, although I never fed my vine. Mine first bloomed last night and I pulled my mom out of bed to come see it at 6 AM. Truly spectacular flowers.

As for the hardiness, this vine has come back for some neighbors and I'm planning on having it come up next year.

Also, don't try to grow these by seed. It is SO much easier getting a start from a place like Annie's Annuals for like $5 rather than to go to all the trouble to get the things to germinate.

I bought a package of seeds 5 years ago and forgot about them until I was cleaning out a cabinet and found them. I planted them along th...Read Moree columns of my covered porch and promptly forgot about them again.... Fast forward 2 months and I see a HUGE and lovely white bloom mixed in with my clematis and roses..... My moonflower was going to bloom! It's lovely and I've found several new buds that will open soon. They look lovely mixed in with the other climbers, and perfume the air, on and around the porch. Sitting out in the evening has never smelled so lovely!

Well I am from Manchester, NH and I have always wanted to try growing moon flowers. So I bought a package of seed, and all 10 seed germin...Read Moreated. I then planted them all into one 12 inch pot till they were about 3 inches, then re potted them in there own separate 13 inch pots. I wasn't sure how they would do since I was planting then in pots and not the ground. Gave 6 away but the 4 I have are doing Great. There on my balcony and were getting so long I went out and bought two 6 ft tall Trellis. The trellises start at the bottom being 6 inches wide and gradually widens to 60 inches, Seeing they fit well I attached them to my balcony post with cable ties. Helped with the start of the wrapping but they took off. My plants are about 7 feet tall and bright green leaves. I am noticing little buds on the plant but no flowers yet. I have seen that even though all info on this plant says full sun, my plants start to wither and droop until 1pm when then its covering in shade. The only down fall I have noticed about them is that the moon flower plant seems to attract flies. Can't wait till they bloom!

I love this vine! Extremely fast grower, completely covered a 12 foot section of my boardwalk from top to bottom, then clambered along th...Read Moree fence. The seedpods are a mess and will drop hundreds of seeds all over your yard. In January, frost killed it to the ground, but 30 or 40 seedlings have emerged since March and more come up every day. I've let maybe 10 live and even that is too many. This year's seedlings seem to be more drought tolerant than last year's and have endured a dry spell here in Central Florida this spring with very little supplemental water. While the blooms are beautiful and a real joy to watch open, their scent is VERY weak! I had to stick my nose in the flower to get any hint of scent, and was disappointed that they smelled like more like sunscreen than cloves or perfume like has been previously mentioned. However, I enjoyed growing moonflowers and they are always welcome in my yard.

Hello Flower Folk! Easy vine to grow. Score and soak seeds to encourage proper growth. You'll enjoy watching the beautiful flowers open q...Read Moreuickly in the late afternoon. At night the Hummingbird moth pays a visit.(A big plus!) Grow some along a fence with Datura inoxia at the base for some nighttime activity.

In the middle of May this year, I filled a 14" pot with potting mix (Miracle-Gro® Potting Mix, 0.21 - 0.07 - 0.14) and planted 3 seeds (...Read Morefrom Renee’s Garden) that I had soaked for ~6 hrs in tepid water. I set this outside (southern exposure), covered it with Reemay to keep the birds, etc. out, and made sure it stayed damp. All three seeds germinated in about 2 weeks.

In June, I uncovered and moved the pot to our deck where I had set up a trellis against the railing, with south-east exposure. The plants grew rapidly during June and July to ~8 feet tall. In contrast to the morning glories we also have growing, the moonflowers have not yet set out any buds. Is there something I can do to encourage them to blossom? Should I add something to adjust the fertilizer ratios? Any advice would be welcome.

Positive so far. Zone 5 with a zone 7 micro climate until winter hits.

Used the soak in water over-night method. Discarded...Read More the floating ones, and potted them in a very water saturated seed starting mix (can't remember the brand Jiffy or MG). Four inch pots, with four seeds spaced evenly apart (to account for fails). Placed them in a 80 degree hot house.

Emerged in three days!

Will thin to two per pot, then perhaps remove the weakest before setting in the ground in a sunny site with lots of water.

I have always failed at these. Filing/cracking never worked for me, sadly. I have never had a batch sprout until this year, and it looks like I will get four viables per pot. Amazing.

What's the recommended fertilizer rate for these guys? 10/10/10 or go for foliage for the first month, then switch to bloom?

Thanks for all the advice! I picked and chose the best responses, and got a great result!

This plant needs humidity and warmth to grow well. Even here in Missouri it seems to need to be tended to regularly, including watering....Read More I also suggest feeding it regularly in it's first weeks of life to give it a good start. Also, the seeds should be scarified before they go in the soil, so I like to use a coarse nail file to remove the seed shell in a few small random areas. This plant is easy to start and i'm sure that once i get it to take i can keep growing them as i please.

I LOVE these. I took some seeds from a neighbors plants. She had them in the back where the alleys/driveways are. I have SO many plants i...Read Moren the pot since I didn't bother to do much with it after it died although I did collect some of the seed pods. I just repotted some of the plants from the original pot. Can't wait to see them in full bloom this year.

Moonflower grows very well here in Nashville, TN, reaching heights of 10 feet or more in good soil. The trick I've discovered is to not ...Read Moreplant it too early, as it won't grow well until the night are warm, 70 degrees+. I've had the best results direct-sowing presoaked seed in early June.

This has been our first year growing Moonflowers. We are growing them indoors in pots. It has been a delicate process, a lot of learnin...Read Moreg! But oh the reward has been spectacular... Seeing that first flower was splendid!! Right now we are battling spider mite's. We have tried different remedies that have taken their toll on the plant, along with the pesky bugs. Any suggestions? We are using water right now.

This is the most beautiful flower I have ever seen. I inherited it from my mother when she died. It comes back every year and I have mo...Read Moreved it in my front yard now. Everyone wants to know what it is and where they can get one. The only maintenance I provide is water and that is only when the leaves droop. It does bloom at night and I have gotten up to about fifty blooms per day this year. And it does bloom daily. If you have one keep it. If you don't keep trying. I have given three away and the new owners love them as well.

I've grown Moon Lily plants for the past 5 years, and they are for me not a vine, but more of a stalky, leafy, lush plant with a long roo...Read Moret base, and acts like a perrineal. It seems to do best for me in full, hot sun, and needs a deep watering about every other week. I deadhead the spent blooms the following morning, and when I have let them go (like gone for vacation), there are considerably less new blooms (but isn't that true for most flowering plants:)). I cut back when it gets so cool in the fall that the leaves start turning yellow and brown and there aren't any new blooms. Just in case the root bed dies, I let the last 10 or so blooms go to seed. The pods are round and resemble sycamore balls in that they have little sharp thorns all over them. Then I hang onto the seed balls over the winter, and share them with friends! I've also heard it referred to as "trumpet flower" or "angel trumpet". Just beautiful! There are other color varieties, too. But they only bloom after the sun goes down. One grouping I have up against my garage (about 5 stalks coming up from the one, big root) had 22 blooms in one night! Spectacular! What a show, and the aroma - my husband and I stood and watched them open up, one after another....it was definately a moment (well, several moments)! Kris, Louisville, KY

Looks much too much like bindweed. My instinct to pull it up or poison it would be far too strong.

When I lived in Kansas and Missouri, the hot summer weather always allowed me to easily grow huge moonflower vines within a very short pe...Read Moreriod of time.
After I moved to Eureka, CA my experience became the exact opposite. The plants have been slow-growing & spindly, struggling all season, eventually succumbing to aphids or some other sad fate.
I'm guessing that Ipomoea alba needs warmer conditions than Eureka can provide. The climate here is quite a bit cooler than the rest of Humboldt County, rarely getting warmer than the 60's. Every local garden center has Ipomoea alba seeds however, & I'm sure they would do much better just a few miles further inland.

I love this plant and have had success every time I've planted the seedlings. I germinate the seeds by placing them on a wet paper towel...Read More, folding over the towel and then sealing it into a clear plastic bag. Germination occurs within 5 days or so. Not every germinated seed grows into a seedling however I would estimate about 80% of the seeds turn into usable seedlings. Try to keep them out of afternoon sun (I live in the middle of Long Island)...they will cook (in pots or in the ground) unless you plan on watering them a lot...read that "every day." I've planted the amongst my perennials (not the best idea - they tend to strangle my lily and hemerocallis stalks), had them climb up my katsura tree or climb up a trellis. The scent is magnificent. This year I've planted them in pots with some vining nasturium - I have the pot on a shelf towards the top of my 8 foot fence. Hopefully both will vine down the fence and onto the shrubs below...maybe!

I grow Moonflowers well here in Southern Ontario. I do not crack them, I put them in moist paper towel for a day or two.
One word ...Read Moreof caution though the seeds are poison, so watch near children or pets.

One of my favorites to grow from seed. I try to plant these every year & share the seeds with neighbors. Easy to grow, these are one of...Read More the few morning glory type vines that will handle the high heat & humidity of Florida (I don't have luck with any other varieties from seed). I plant the seeds in full sun near my "moon garden", and by early-mid summer, it begins to bloom with huge white flowers. The blooms open in the early evening & close up in the morning. They have a delightful delicate fragrance. Hummingbird Moths are attracted to the blooms & can be seen buzzing around them at night. On full moon nights they look magnificant! The leaves of the vine are also attractive. Hardy & easy to grow, they were a fun plant for my children to grow when they were younger.

Peninsula, CA

Planted seeds a few weeks ago (April 24th 2010), some are in pots and a few are in the soil. I haven't used ...Read Moreany fertilizers. There only seems to be a couple sprouting vigorously, and are taking root nicely. The rest are struggling a little bit but that might be because they're in cheap plastic containers/water bottles.

I'm really looking forward to watching these flowers bloom and trail up on the fence.

Will post when I get more results :D

This plant tends to do very well in most Texas regions. If anyone is having a hard time getting the seeds to germinate, I recommend soak...Read Moreing them overnight in water and then starting them in peat pellets (available at Home Depot or Lowe's). I then keep them watered and outdoors in a place where they get sun. Every time I use the peat pellets, the moonflowers seedlings emerge within a few days and I have healthy, trans-potable plants within a week or so. They have done great in pots which prevents them from taking over the whole garden.

I'm conflicted, but trying again. I grew these from seed last year with magnificent results. The sprouts appeared within days and I had...Read More flowers within weeks. Huge, breathless white bigger than my hand. Texture is sinfully sensual, a cross between leather and satin. Truly. HOWEVER the only reason they lived while they lived was constant watering...I'm zone 9/10 and my plantings are all highly drought tolerant. Last year's vines didn't last water weaning. So I will try again, likely in the same place so they get lots of sun but not incinerated in the afternoon/evening. Will research rainwater collection vs. mosquito breeding.

First year WS, and WS'd Moonflower seeds. Boy, are they happy! Germinated within several weeks, which inclulded temps ranging from 25 t...Read Moreo 75 deg.,sun, rain, snow and sleet. So for zones 5/6 , Moonflower vine is a real winner to WS.

As a novice gardener, I stuck a couple of donated seed in a pot here in Zone 5/6 on a sunny deck in summer 09. I didn't know to crack th...Read Moree seed's shell, but I got a seedling at the beginning of June. It was a slow grower, probably because of the cold, horribly wet June weather last year, but it was about 6" tall at the end of August, and I moved it indoors because I didn't think it would be hardy here. In a southern window, it's growing like mad and is about to pop about 8 blossoms in January, a pleasant surprise in the dead of winter!

I live in a mediterranean climate (about 30 miles SE of San Francisco) and planted three vines into a large clay pot on my back deck. Mos...Read Moretly due to poor soil conditions in the garden and secondly because I didn't want this plant to take over.

It has been about 3-4 months and the plant is vining nicely with a lot of buds, but it is evident they are in the early stages and it could be another month before I see an actual bloom. Considering the subdued light we get here (in a valley) it is where I expected to be in growth.

I am hoping that I will not have to replant next year with some careful strategies such as moving it inside in our work space where skylights let in plenty of light and it will be protected from high winds and the cold. I was wondering if anyone else thought this could be successful or have substained their plant after the winter months in this region. Please email me if you have any tips. karen.illustrators@gmail.com

Otherwise, I had great success with this plant while I was living in Charlotte, NC, the blooms were huge and fragrant , I ended up selling it before I left, so I have no idea how it had done since.

my mom planted moonflowers in our front yard, and being as we live in southern mn and the weather is kinda harsh at times it took two yea...Read Morers for the flowers to actually grow. but when they did they were beautiful.

I live in Southern Ontario, near Hamilton and have had success with growing this vine planted in two long, rectangular containers and up ...Read Morea trellis that is anchored to my balcony wall. I have always purchased the plant from garden centres because I've always had trouble finding the seed pods on the vine. This seems odd because I grow 'Grandpa Otts' morning glory and have no problem finding and harvesting those every year. Suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Aphids of every colour were brutal this year, but they didn't discriminate and just try to eat my moonflower vine, they ate everything!
Also, people are mentioning a lovely scent that comes from the flowers. I have grown this vine every summer for three years now and have yet to have smelled much at all from a single blooming flower. What everyone is describing sounds wonderful! Any idea why mine doesn't smell?

I think it will be positive! Purchased an inexpensive pack of seeds this spring. Soaked them, planted them in the ground with waiting t...Read Morerellis! We have the most magnificent vine, fuzzy leaves the size of dinner plates. No flowers yet - when should we expect their arrival? We have had a lot of rain this year, but also warm - wasn't sure if certain conditions would hold up the blooming process. Every morning I am peering into this vine to see if any buds are appearing, what I think is a bud ends up being another tendril of vine! But am enjoying the beautiful greenery and will certainly pursue if we're not successful with blooms this time.
Any advice most welcome! (I've just joined this website)

There was a time, this vine was not easy to find/propagate but now its seeds are easily available. I had got a grown plant last year in a...Read More clay pot of 12 inched. It bloomed in september-november. Fragrant blooms and they open in 45 seconds(i made video too). In morning opened blooms wilt. This is an evergreen vine which spreads fast. Easy to grow from seed. from April-June, blooms are not very fragrant and flower does not open fully. From july onwards this vine comes to its own.

I know what you mean, I have tried on several occasions to grow them from seed. This late spring they sprouted and now winding up a home...Read More made trellis. I'm growing them in a pot with nasturtiums. They get full sun and I have kept them moist up until about a week ago. I treat them like their cousins, the morning glories and I'm confident they will bloom when they're ready. When they do I will post an image.

Don't give up, happy gardening!

I have been growing this beautiful vine from seed, for a few years here in southern Ontario (Hamilton area). It is a very strong, lush vi...Read Morene and the flowers are huge and they have a really great scent.
The only problem is that they need a good head start inside or else it is very late in the summer or fall that they bloom. I find that they need a lot of sun and warmth.
An awsome vine.
Liz

About getting them to sprout ...have not read all the comments.. too long a list... so this maybe a repeat... these seeds have a very har...Read Mored shell. You need to slightly put a crack in them with a hammer. Try putting and old rag over them and hitting them lightly. You need the rag because they are so hard they shoot off in some direction when struck. They can fly back up in your face, so use caution/eye protection. Kind of like hitting a steel ball bearing. You may hit too hard and destroy the seed. Just try another. You just want a good hairline crack . This lets the water in. I have never had a problem starting them. In my neck of the woods lunar moths seem to like these flowers.

I direct sowed these plants in early June 2007. The most unusual trait is the HUGE seed leaves. They were each at least a full square in...Read Morech in area and were heavily wrinkled. It grew somewhat slow compared to other ipomoeas. BUT, in october '07 it reveled its first BIG bloom. The fragrance is unforgetable. It did not start blooming until 2 days before the first frost. My consenus: start early!

Los Altos, California

I have purchased a package of moonflower seeds every year for the last ten years. I have planted...Read More them in different parts of the garden and in pots. Not one has so much as sprouted.

We have a permanent population of blue morning glories. Sometimes I think the moonflowers turned into morning glories.

This is the best plant I have ever grown! It grows just about anywhere and has the coolest looking leaves, flowers and seed pods. It nee...Read Moreds very little room for it's roots and usually needs two cups a day.
It's easy too manage too. Just give it a string to climb somewhere and it looks great. I am a begginer at gardening but I strongly recomend people to grow this vine.

Fellow tropical gardeners (Zone 10) --
Is this plant really serious about wanting full sun? I have several semi-shady trellises t...Read Morehat I need to have covered, so I'd rather plant it in the shade. But it is so beautiful that I would be willing to take up a sunny trellis with it. Has anyone had luck with it in the shade?

Moonflower's been a total bust for me. I tried to grow them from seed initially... only 1 of 10 seeds germinated, and it died shortly af...Read Moreter I planted it in the ground. Another year I bought them as bedding plants... they grew very slowly up the trellis before gradually dying off, never having produced a single flower. I think maybe this climate is just too cold for moonflower... even though its relative, Morning Glory, seems to do fine.

I grew the Moon Flowers this summer. I have them in front of my house getting the full morning sun until after high noon. I got 2 flowers...Read More on one batch of plants and one on the other. No flowers since. The one that had two flowers has taken on a life of its own. It has grown full and lush and gone everywhere! The other stayed small and has all these pod like things shaped somewhat like a crown with points sticking out of the top. I have no clue what happened here. I sure didn't get a lot of blooms though.

I started my vines in January here in Los Angeles, California and they were very, very slow to start. They grew about 2 feet in 6 months....Read More but then about a month ago they went absolutely crazy and grew several inches per day. The foliage that grew in the 1st 6 months is much like that of a morning glory. This foliage continues to grow. Further down the vine I started to get several new branches. The new foliage is almost identical to sweet potato. I thought that I had 2 different plants until I tracked the vine back to a fork in the vine and both types of foliage are from the same vine. I have looked at the photos and they show either 1 type or the other. Very curious.

Ipomoea alba.........what a romantic beauty!
I've grown them for years and have never been disappointed.
A heavenly fragr...Read Moreance and an moonlit flower!

I have been growing moonflowers in Jackson, Mississippi for several years now, always with spectacular results. They seem to do best with...Read More morning light, but that might simply be because I've only had an eastern exposure in which to grow them. I also plant the vines much closer together than recommended (again, this also might be because my space is limited), which they don't seem to mind at all. Like most vines, they like their roots cool and deep. I soak the seeds overnight to soften the hulls and then slit them with an exacto knife before planting.

Hey,
I live in Sandusky Ohio, northern Ohio, and this plant does well here, but dies completely out in the winter. I tried planti...Read Moreng a bunch of different things last summer, but I considered the Moonvine to be my greatest success.
I soaked the seeds 2 nights in a bowl of water to soften the shell. Than planted them in a small containers with very LIGHT potting soil, and set them in the sun. Watering one to two times a day in hotter weather. I let them mature a bit,(at least a long vine and some leaves), before transplanting in the ground. this is important. Because the light potting soil, and allowing them to develop large leaves and some vines, I noticed, by the end of it, produced MUCH MORE blooms.
I didn't end up getting blooms until fall, though, August/September. But, boy was it rewarding. They ARE AWESOME. The smell is very strong.
They are very hardy, too, and easy to transplant. that's why I liked them. It grows very quickly, although the flowers only last one day and night, the blooms come nonstop, and profusely.
Although they die here in the winter, I'm gonna just replant them again for the year. It's worth the effort.

From your friends at Botanical Interests: Moonflower is an annual 10'-20' vine, related to Morning Glories. It's 5"-6" huge white flower...Read Mores bloom from mid-summer to first fall frost. Unlike, their morning-blooming relatives, Moonflower's twisted buds unfurl at dusk. It is deliciously fragrant with large heart-shaped leaves. Plant this fast growing vine on the front porch, deck, patio, or under a window where you can enjoy its evening performance and heady fragrance. Watch as the flowers unfold in 2-3 minutes!

This is a romantic plant that is just right for planting at the base of a fence or trellis near your patio. I have no problem getting Moo...Read Morenflower to germinate here in Middle Tennessee but do soak the seeds for 24 hours before planting. Mine do better if mulched with leaf compost and watered frequently. I also companion plant "Cardinal Climbers" and "Morning Glory", making a beautiful combination of colors on my trellis.

I have just heard of this plant from this site. I ran out and bought seeds. Hearing all the great descriptions, I am so looking forwa...Read Morerd to planting seeds and seeing amazing results!! I got a lot of helpful info from here, being that I'm new to gardening. Thanks!

I had great luck in Maryland growing Moon Flower from seed (7a). My luck directly from seed has been average here. They tend to flower ...Read Morevery late into the summer season, usually late August or beginning of Sept. The store bought one I put in flowered at least a month earlier. It was also stronger and flowered more often. This year I started seeds to grow good sized plants to put out. I hope this will work better.

I love this plant but it does not do well in my zone/climate/short growing season in central Colorado. I started the seeds inside very e...Read Morearly to give them a head start(Feb or March). Once I put them outside (late May) it took FOREVER to get going and it ended up blooming only a handful of blooms before our first hard frost (early Oct) so it never got seed pods set. It does great in Houston though (used to live there) with humidity and a long growing season.

great plant! Took a while for it to start blooming, but when it did, it went nuts! I planted maybe 4-6 seeds directly in the ground unde...Read Morer a 4ft fence and had as many as 50 blooms at one time! just today I got some of the seeds out of the pods and have probably 500 seeds.

I planted 4 moonvines seeds this spring. It took a while for them to get started but when they did. WOW! The plant covered the railing on...Read More one side of my wooden deck. I had as many as 40 blooms each evening. They would open around 4:00PM and still be open the next morning. Large white blooms. I didn't notice much fragance from my blooms. But they are beautiful. Actually still blooming now in November her in Tennessee. I will cut down as soon as frost starts to kill it. I don't think it will re-seed since I'm in zone 6.

Two years ago I bought a moon vine plant from a local nursery and planted it around a bluebird house on a 4x4. The soil was not the grea...Read Moretest and the plant only produced a few mediocre blooms. So I decided to buy a pack of seeds last spring and plant them around my deck. From 5 seeds came this "jack & the beanstalk" plant with the most beautiful blooms I had ever seen each late afternoon. Some nights there would be 100+ blooms. The Sphinx moths would come out and what a sight. I think I have gotten more pleasure out of this plant than any I have ever planted and will definitely do it again next year. It took over the arbor at the end of my deck, grew underneath and came up on the 2nd set of steps and was just glorious.

I watered heavily and fertilized with MG liquid each week, sometime twice a week. With the dry summer we've had, it took alot of water to keep it going.

the flowers are beautiful,i planted them at my front porch ,and opened the windows.they made the house smell great and i got lots of comp...Read Morelements from everyone ,the only bad thing is they attract wasps, lots of them. i got stung several times. so next year they will go on the fence.

This was one of the first plants I ever grew. I've found Moonflowers very easy here in Southeast Louisiana at least. I love them because ...Read Morethey grow fast and they are so big - the leaves and the flowers are both gigantic.

I bought a pack of seeds (lasted two years) and soaked them in wet paper towels on a plate until they sprouted. Then I put each sprout in a little peat pellet. They got big fast and then I stuck them into a bed I had prepared by simply digging up the grass, turning the soil, and sprinkling some potting soil and peat moss over the top (I was a beginner then, sorry). There was a lattice at the back of the bed for the vine to grab onto. At first I watered them every morning but when life got hectic and my garden was neglected these guys did well still. They grow amazingly fast so I think they are great for the beginner who needs some instant gratification. I love the way they cover everything. I had one in a pot and I was training it up the porch moving a few thumb tacks up each day to hold up the new shoots. We've moved (but not far) and I plan on trying these guys in hanging baskets and definitely throwing some in the ground to cover up the fences and walls. I know they will perform!

I've grown Moonvine in the past and was so disappointed by it. I decided to give it one more try this year and I'm so glad I did! I put 2...Read More plants at the bottom of my porch railing and they've been wonderful, blooming like crazy and smelling so sweet! Too bad we can't bottle that scent! LOL The only downside is the wasps- they love the sweet milky sap that's trapped inside the buds and they are all over them. I also have a few moonvine plants at my back deck- climbing over a trellis that was relocated after a storm ripped it out of the ground. I love sitting out there with my beautiful white flowers. Hoping for lots of seeds to share, and also to use next year.

(Raleigh, NC zone 7)
I found this kind of moonflower vine while searching for a different kind of moonflower that I've only seen ...Read Morein my mom & dad's yard in Pennsylvania. The moonflowers growing in my parents' garden come back each and every year for over the last decade, and aren't vines. Whatever they are, they have spiky seed balls, and produce white, heavenly trumpets every summer night into fall. Can't get the seeds from mom and dad's plants to grow here and haven't been able to find established plants here... This spring I bought a pack of Ipomoea moonflower seeds out of curiosity, to see if they'd be anything like the lovely scented blooms I was so familiar with.

I have been delighted with my moonflower vine! It's not the same as the moonflower I grew up with, but its blooms are just as beautiful-- and yes, they're huge! Mine was slow to bloom since I planted the seeds late (sowed directly into ground in hot afternoon sun in very poor soil). The first bloom I saw took my breath away-- the scent is out of this world, I've personally never smelled anything like it. If there was a moonflower vine scented perfume I would wear it. The flower is gorgeous, delicate, fragrant, inspiring! If only I had planted it up the front trellis instead of letting it sprawl in the back garden. It has begun climbing up a long stalk of my pigeon berry bush extending about 10 feet or so. Mine is not extremely floriferous and regrettably I don't get a chance to go out back in the night and witness every beautiful bloom. I'm going to go try giving it some Miracle Grow-- I guess if it's doing well without any maintenence it could do better with some nutrients! I'm definitely getting another pack of seeds next year, and hoping for volunteers.

I'm very new to gardening, and just started planting moonflowers last year. I bought a plant from a nursery last year, but this year I a...Read Morelso started some from seeds. Now they're going nuts! I had 11 blooms last night, and I absolutely love them. My boyfriend and I pull up chairs and sit and watch the flowers open. My cats like to watch, too. What an incredibly beautiful flower, and the vines have covered the lattice around my patio very nicely. I have morning glories next to them, and they're all doing very well.

I have a plant similar that my father called a moonflower, but it grows more like small tree...than a vine. The flowers are similar but ...Read Moresmaller ....and open at dusk also. They have a sort of bluish/purple tint, but don't seem to have the strong aroma like the big white ones. It also grows spiny seed pods...many many of them.

A neighbor gave me some small Moonflower seedlings this past spring, But the type I have seem different from the vines that I just read a...Read Morebout. Mine are about 3-4 feet tall and very thick sturdy stems, they have large green spiny seed pods the size of golf balls, no vining habit at all, just sturdy shrub like plants. If anyone has any info on this type Id sure appreciate it. Id also like to find the vine variety. Mine has bloomed profusely all summer with little or no attention here in Laurel DE.

This is my second year to try and grow this and I finaly was able to get it going! In fact, just now I watched the very first flower blo...Read Moreom! That was deffinately a treat! It smells great! I will deffinately be growing these again, and again, and again.

I have never been so amazed by a plant/flower in my life. I am in awe every night it blooms. The most blooms we have had on one of our ...Read Moreplants is 9 in one night, and that has happened twice.....so far. I have over 400 pictures in our Moon Flower file and I do not see it getting any smaller. We are going to have so many seeds ffrom just one of our plants, we are going to give them away in our Christams cards.
As far as growing tips, lots of sun , lots of love, and a little luck is all you need. The 2 plants that we have in our back yard came up all by themselves. A gift from the grave if you will. They were Grandmom's favorite and have not grown for years. We recently got married and believe the moon vines are a small blessing and approval from someone special. Anyway that is what I choose to believe.

I was told that what I have is moonflower. However, mine is not a vine and has very thick stems w/ prickly seed pods. VERY fragrant @ nig...Read Moreht and are the size of a plate when they bloom. They are about 3ft. tall. If anyone knows what this is if it not moonflower, please let me know. It seems to fit all of the characteristics except it is not a vine.
THANKS!!!!

Our pods are about 3-4 inches in length and green; they appear to be about to open.

This was a plant I have always known about, but did not grow till 3 years ago. My neighbor gave me the seeds. I soaked them overnight, th...Read Moreen planted in a pot. They take awhile to germinate. In fact I gave up on some this year, and "dumped" them out. Three weeks later they came up
in the garden! They love the Hot, they love the sun.
The nighttime flowers are lovely.

I planted Moon Vine for the very first time this year. I love it! It took a while to get started but once it did it just took off. It ...Read Moreis flowering for me now and the blooms are huge! They have a faint fragrance and the coverage is unbelievable. You can barely see my trellis' at all(I have them on two 1-in ground 1-in a whiskey barrel on the patio. I will definately plant them out again. The fact they re-sow may be a positive for me.

I bought a packet of seeds of blue moonflower. (I have grown the white also). Oh and what I have reaped from this little pack of seeds! I...Read Moret is VERY aggressive and invasive. It took over our deck. It freaked me out, consuming our deck lights to the point where you couldn't see them. The vine wasn't very fragrant. I thinned it out so many times. I grew to hate it.I finally just pulled it all up (an all day job). It had not set seeds yet. But it still came back. Every day I would see a shoot. Three years later I am still pulling this stuff up. I don't think it will ever go away. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone unless they are ready for total coverage

I can't grow this plant. I have tried 3 years without success. I put them directly in the ground, soaked them several days until they c...Read Moreracked open, planted them indoors in pots. They did come up indoors and looked great until I transplanted them outside in the spring in a protected planter/trellis. I give up!

I have loved this plant since I was a child. I was born in Louisiana, and lived in New Orleans, where we had a moonflower vine for sever...Read Moreal years. The scent in the evening is unbelievable.

I've lived in north-central Indiana now for thirty-five years, and plant Moonflower seeds about every year. I don't nick the seeds...I soak them overnight before planting in trays in late February. then move them to a covered patio to harden off after the last frost. They're fast-growers, and by mid-summer, they've covered my trellis from one side to the other and half-way back again.

I planted moonflower seeds this year for the first time. I planted them directly in the ground after nicking and soaking them, as is sug...Read Moregested. I thought it would never come up, but when it did, the thing went ballistic. It's starting to get a "Little Shop of Horrors" feel to it; I'm afraid to stand too close or turn my back. If you don't mind a vine with dreams of world domination, go ahead and plant it, otherwise you might want to rethink it. I haven't experienced the flowers yet. I would have thought that it would have bloomed by now. Many plants here in southeast Alabama are starting to '"poop out" by now. I haven't lost hope for the blooms, yet, though. I noticed that a few other folks in my neck of the woods have had late blooms, so we'll see.

Lightning bug in Rockford, MN

I grew this vine per my Mama's recommendation around my deck in North Carolina and they wer...Read Moree superb! The blooms kept coming. I now live in Minnesota and have tried to sow seeds outdoors in ground for 3 yrs and this year I've gotten three seedlings out of about 20 seeds. I've transplanted to a large pot at the bottom of my deck and so far have 1 vigorous climber and 1 hopeful, 1 not doing much at all. I pray that I get a couple of flowers this year which will help me to feel a little closer to home. Keep your fingers crossed for me and I will update in a couple of months. If this works, I think I will plant each year along any old fence along our country roads as a surprise for northern gardeners in my area.

An elderly couple who lived next door gave me a young Moonflower plant about 25 years ago. The couple has passed on, but the Moonflowers...Read More are still going strong. I 've never had to save and plant the seeds or fertilize. If the blossoms slow down I give it a good watering. I really enjoy the flowers - they are at least as large as my hand, spectacularly beautiful and honey bees seem to like them.

Easy to grow in south Louisiana, just below Baton Rouge.
I take no extra care with the seed, just dig hole about 1" deep and drop ...Read Morein seed..... nothing special done beforehand such as soak, scrape, etc. I have had 100% germination success and let vines trail along top of fence. Fun to watch the flowers open late in the evening... start to finish opening takes about 30 seconds... after all the leaves just separate.

this plant grows like a weed in this arewa. We are in the caost redwoods about 1/2 mile from the ocean and each winter they die down and ...Read Moreeach spring the climb and bloom.
We live in Crescent City, Calif

Ipomoea alba; is a lovely tender annual here in my 7b zone. Many could be confused with its cousins the 'morning glories', and further m...Read Moreore. Some may have mistaken 'datura' with the Moonflower because the similarity in flower-shape. And shared characters i.e. the white trumpet flowers only open at night, or cloudy days. The marked difference, Moonflower are vining habit, and the trunk could be slightly purplish green and big. Whereas 'datura' is a shrub, and is appears to be tender perennual here in my area. Both are lovely and can serve as a beautiful back drop for other colorful plants in the garden. Ipomoea alba do self seed, or grow indoor. The seeds coats are quite tough soaking the seeds (with luke warm water) over night will speed up germination. In my area, some of my left-over seeds will grow naturally without fuss. While browsing, weeding my flower bed in early spring, I carefully lift the volunteers seedlings, and planted them where I've some means for them to climb on. The plants don't seem to require much care other than adequate moisture, lot of sunshines. They look wonderful too; climbing small trees. The only problem is to get them off the trees after the growing season is quite a chore. If you plant these; don't forget to visit them at night, early in the morning, after sunset. Otherwise, you've missed out all of its glory.

I planted Moonflowers for the first time last year and was overjoyed with the result. I often entertain on my patio on summer nights, and...Read More the moonflowers were a spectacular display. They grew up along stakes against my shed and then spread across the patio on the lantern strings. I had no idea how large the blossoms would be, nor how striking in their simplicity. Even the buds are suprisingly beautiful. They were especially lovely in the early morning beside my just waking Morning glories.

I have grown moonflowers from seeds for the past 10 years. In all, I have had only 2 seasons where I got little to no luck with them. W...Read Morehile they are a bit tough to get going, with the sight and smell (sort of jasmine-like) of these, the effort is worth it.

I recommend starting the seeds indoors, and babying them a little. These are the last plants I transplant outdoors, and move them to the trestle on our deck. As long as they get enough water, they will not disappoint.

Moonflowers (I. alba) are not noxious weeds or even naturalized in Arkansas or Arizona according to the USDA. The Ipomoea alba page also...Read More mentions that unspecified members of the genus Ipomoea are considered noxious weeds in Arkansas and Arizona.
If you click on the state name at the bottom of the page, it will give you more information on invasive or noxious species in those states, but I. alba is never mentioned. Arizona considers all members of the genus, with few exceptions, noxious weeds because of their potential to be invasive. It is preventative, but nowhere is it mentioned that moonflowers are themselves invasive. They are native to some areas of the United States.

I do not know what wild plants in other places look like, but in my area of Florida the plants, including the flowers, look just like the available cultivars. They might look different in your area.

These plants thrive in poor, dry soil and full sun. If they aren't flowering, they are probably being over-watered. The ones I have grown have always died at the end of summer, after fruiting profusely, never making it through fall (I'm in extreme southeastern Florida, so it's not because of the temperatures here). Growing on the East side of the wall, mine have always opened up in the evening before nightfall.

This is my first year at attempting gardening. A neighbor gave me some moon flower seeds which I planted in late May. By the middle of Ju...Read Morely I got beautiful flowers that smelled great. But are there different breeds of moon flowers because my moonflowers are more of a bush than vine and the seed pods are almost scary looking because they are covered with spikes all over it. I planted them around a tree in my backyard with morning glory vines behind them closest to the tree. It turned out ok considering I had no idea what I was doing but, not really what I expected.

I assume others are referring to some selected cultivar (with big flowers) of this species. Ipomoea alba (with small white flowers) grows...Read More here as a weed and is one of the worst in my veggie garden, very difficult to get rid of. I would have given it a negative but can I be the only one?

The USDA PLANTS Database also shows this plant as a Noxious Weed in Arizona and Arkansas (40 miles to the south). It's hardly #1 in my book!

I am growing moon flowers near Huntsville, Missouri. This year is the first year I have tried them. I had some trouble sprouting them i...Read Morendoors. Only four live plants from the whole packet. The ones that lived are doing great. I will grow them again next year, although based on information from this site it appears that I may have volunteers and that would be great.

Three or four vines of Moonflower appeared in a large hedge that separates our driveway from the house next door. We watched it climb, gr...Read Moreow and bloom beautifully, and it's continued all summer. The soil is kept moist from the shade of the hedge and I'm sure it must be quite good soil to support these volunteers. I would like them to return next year and possibly have some in my gated garden in the yard.

I felt very lucky to find this site. We almost pulled them out. thinking they were some kind of poison ivy, which we have also found in our backyard. We're not sure where that came from either.

Moonflowers have grown in my front yard for several years - as a perennial, in Detroit, MI. I got them from my Aunt, who has them growing...Read More wild in her yard. They seem to multiply every year. They must be re-seeding themselves. The blooms last only one or a few nights, but they grow new ones quickly.

I have six Moon Flowers growing in two different pots on my deck.The flowers are as descibed in other peoples comments, very fragrent, an...Read Mored white.To my surprise the flowers only open one time and fall off the next day.I dont think that I do anything wrong but I thought the flowers open again the next night.

Here in Oklahoma, I start the seeds in peat pots in early March. I nick the seeds and set them right into the planting medium. It has b...Read Moreeen my experience that they resent repotting, hence the peat pots. They tolerate the heat here, and there is no lovelier smell in the garden. They don't voluteer well, so I plant them every spring.

This plant surprised the heck out of me when I went out on my mother's deck at midnight and saw it blooming, while it had been dormant al...Read Morel day.

My mother got from my Aunt. They both live near Windsor, Ontario, Canada [Zone 5] and it is thriving (speading like mad!) year after year.

When I first started growing moonflowers, my youngest daughter was about 4yrs old (fixin' to be 15 next wk!) and we'd sit there and watch...Read More the flowers open! It was such a good experience and made such good memories! I plant them every year, never had a problem w/ reseeding and think they smell like HEAVEN! Love 'em!

I grew mine from seed as well, but I wasn't expecting a "vine" to be so thick! The flowers are coming like crazy, but I know for sure I c...Read Morean't let the seeds self sew or I will be in trouble! This thing is a monster already and I just started it this season. Thinking I will have to transplant to a better location. Flowers haven't as yet given any scent that I can detect.

I don't know what's going on. The first year, with no experience, I had loads of beautiful moonflowers.

This year, they a...Read Morere growing the green leaves but very spindly with offshoots of tiny sprouting stuff.

This is my absolute favorite vine. I always save seed, from the year before. I soak seed between wet newspaper to speed germination. I...Read More have found, they don't like there roots disturbed so I prefer to plant directly in the ground after danger of frost is past in my region . Once they take off, they fill my trellis fully, the leaves are very attractive and I love the blooms and the fragrance. Loving the outdoors like I do, especially warm summer nights, nothing is better than the sight of the moon vine, the lovely fragrance and a glass of wine! I have submitted a picture, with the spinx moth at the bloom, The first time I saw one of these big moths i thought it was a humming bird with its nights and days mixed up..haha. scared me..I'm wiser now and love to see them enjoy my moon vine as much as I do.

Having issues with Aphids. Bought an insecticide.....but still pinch one or two of those buggers off the half eaten leaves everyday. VE...Read MoreRY annoying. The tips of new growth, at the very tip of the vine are black and I am worried that somethng else is worng with my Moonflower.
If anyone has any idea why the new growth is black please let me know.

Thanks,

Just FYI to all who love Moonflowers(in which I am one). They are MORE than just a little bit toxic, every inch of this plant right down ...Read Moreto the root system is HIGHLY TOXIC to dogs and small children. I have had these beauties in my front yard for 15+yrs.I gave some seed to my neighbor and some did come up in back yard (I did tell her that parts of the plant could make the dog sick) at the time I did not know just how toxic they could be. on a hot Aug. afternoon the dog bit at a bee on the flower, we thought he got stung, but that was not the case, in the matter of 10 mins. the dog went into convultions and died, he got a small piece of leaf in his mouth. This was not a small dog either( half Sheppard/Half Rottwieller.he weighed about 125lbs. So PLEASE DO NOT plant these deadly beauties where your Pets and Children play. Thanks Sonniesue2u

This plant is one of my favorites. I soaked the seeds overnight (sometimes 2 days), then put them in jiffy pellets. They sprout within a...Read More day or so. They're the "star" attraction for any "moon garden".

Hello, I Live in The Bronx , New York. I planted the Moon Flower Vine seeds in my back yard last spring with Morning Glorys (Mixed & Heav...Read Moreenly Blue). I followed the instructions (soaking the seeds in warm water overnight) I planted all the seeds in the ground next to a metal fence ( Very Sunny) .
I wanted privacy & Wow it did the job fantastically. This Plant even grew across my other neighbor fence (she did not mind) & I also have elderly friendly neighbors which they also enjoyed the plant but at times they would snip the plant
( a tad bit)because it would block their entrance to a little gate- path ( I did not mind but it hurt me a little).
This plant grew rapidly, & tremendously beautiful . I received a lot of compliments. I also have a dog(Bichon Frise) & he does not mess with it (Pee's on it though) I've notice my plants growing again this year. Yeah! I'm so happy!... I'm planting some more Moon Plants & Morning Glory's (Mixed & heavenly blue) in a rectangle flower box to cover my backyard iron stairs & also for the front entrance driveway. Chao!

I've grown this plant for the last few years, the first year the summer was too cool, the second year I planted it and it did well but I ...Read Moremissed the blooms because the vines sneaked into my greenhouse and I didn't look in there at night. And last year, I soaked the seeds too long and they rotted. Only soak the seeds over one night! I have a couple left so will try again this year.

I was able to grow this plant directly from seed (supported by a trellis facing west in my yard). The area received approximately 6-8 ho...Read Moreurs of direct sunlight daily, which I think was an absolute necessity. This vine is a vigorous grower.....I had a full trellis of foliage within a few weeks. The flowers that opened at night were mildly fragrant and beautiful, but were sometimes outweighed by the 'invasiveness' of this plant. I would literally have to prune this vine back every other day or so, to ensure that it would not overtake other plants in it's area. My next-door neighbor had a metal gazebo right next to the fence that the trellis was placed against....within a day or so, this vine would begin to reach over the fence and wrap around the gazebo. If you even left a shovel against the fence for a day or two, the vine would begin to reach for it. Luckily this plant is only an annual in this area....otherwise I would have had a real problem on my hands.

Perfect for late-season interest, nighttime companion to morning glories or Lablab. Ideal hottub/patio vine for fragrance. Do not allow...Read More to dry out, needs warm weather and a relatively long season.

This plant is great, the flower is nice and huge. The seeds took longer than expected to sprout, i even put them in water overnight. It t...Read Moreook about month. After they had sprouted, the vine was growing like crazy. I do wish there were other colors besides white. Its very nice though and fast growing. Sometimes i cant find the seeds to buy and sometimes i can.

This is the first time I have tried to grow Moon Vines. I planted them in a very sunny part of my property, I have beautiful vines but so...Read More far No flowers.I started them in a wet paper towel in a warm place, all the seeds took off. I Planted them outside within 4 days in June. We have had some pretty HOT days 105, about 3 weeks in a row.

I plant seeds of this magestic vine every year next to my picket fence. I share seeds with as many people as possible, but for whatever ...Read Morereason, no one seems to appreciate the beauty and benefit this plant is to the environment. I am in awe of the copius amount of sweet smelling blooms it yields and I have a nightly ritual where I stand by my moonflowers at dusk and wait for the hummingbird moths to come and feed on the sweet necture. And feed they do!!!!! I counted 6 in 2 minutes just last night!!! I am able to stand silently near the blossoms and observe God's hand in action!!!! Gardening does that, you know. I am truly blessed by my heavenly moonflowers.

I can't, as yet, report that this plant is cultivatable in my coolish micro-climate zone, here on the Monterey Peninsula, CA.

...Read More/> Last year I purchased a packet of seeds, planted them all outdoors, and only one came up. It grew very slowly, spindly, and more or less languished, without ever blooming, until it expired in the fall/winter period.

This year, I've purchased another packet of seeds and am trying to germinate them indoors, where it's warmer. So far, after two weeks, I only have two spouts out of about 14 seeds. I can't even guarantee they're moonflower sprouts, since so far all I have are the two basal leaves.

After reading about this flower, it seems the one thing these plants absolutely require is heat. And by "heat" I mean HOT.

It never gets hot in my area. The average nighttime temps are in the 40's, 50's and low 60's in summer. The average daytime temps are 50's, 60's and low 70's in the summer. It almost never freezes here, but it also almost never gets "hot."

I'm planning on growing these in the sunniest, most wind-sheltered area of my garden.

Wish me luck, but so far, I'm not having much success with this plant.

I can grow Morning Glory just fine, though, which is why I'm still hopeful.

Some of my Moonflower vines reseed themselves, but seem to wait until the ambient temperatures are very warm, around June, to germinate i...Read Moren the ground (NE Fla, borderline Zone 8b/9a), then bloom around September to frost. I've also collected and stored Moonflower seeds in plastic containers and stored some of them in the crisper of my refrigerator and some on the tool shed shelf. These vines make a lot of seeds when the vines grow well! Once you have a healthy vine with lots of flowers, you should have seeds to keep and share for a lifetime. I wasn't sure my seeds that were over a year old would germinate, but the ones I have planted this Spring are already up and growing. They seem to germinate quicker when the seeds are from a previous season! I don't do any special preparation of the seeds (such as nicking or soaking) and still get good germination.

If your Moonflower seeds don't germinate right away, don't give up on them. I planted some of my collected seeds in garden soil in small pots one year and some sprouted quickly while others showed no sign of growth. I dumped all the pots that didn't grow into one of my flower beds. A month or so later, I had Moonflower seedlings pop up in that flower bed. These seeds seem to have their own internal time clock that determines when they are ready to germinate and it seems to vary from seed to seed.

The resulting vines and flowers are worth whatever effort you may expend in getting them to grow. The late afternoon/evening display of fragrant blossoms is tremendous. Some flowers will last well into the morning on cool days. I've also noticed the flowers are visited frequently by hummingbird moths -- a surprise one evening when I noticed the bright shining eyes of a moth, illuminated by an outdoor security light, darting around amongst my Moonflower vines. Exquisite!

Hullo. I'm in Singapore, in the tropics, and new to this plant, but I wanted something hardy to grow up a trellis. Amazingly I bought the...Read More seeds from England! I planted them mainly in pots a couple of weeks ago, and it's amazing that they're at different levels of growth. In spite of all the information about it doing best in full sun, they seem to do better in part sun in Singapore. I'm now waiting for them to shoot up. I've teamed them up with other varieties like the Tricolour and Grandpa Otts. Cheers, Peter.

Grows wild in Florida and the Carribbean. It grows very fast down here. Tender tropical perennial vine. Heart shaped foliage attractiv...Read Moree as well. Wonderfully fragrant enormous blooms at night, they smell like gardenias except more subtle. The smell of moonflowers is evident when walking on Florida beaches at night...the warm breezes and the wonderful scent.

I have grown this plant on lattice at my back door for four or five years. I may have as many as thirty blooms in an evening, and the fr...Read Moreagrance is wonderful. You can actually watch these blooms open. The seed need to be soaked for germination.

Ipomoea alba is a very hardy plant and, unlike many people believe, it does not need any fertilizer, just regular watering and something ...Read Moreto twine around. The origin of this plant is uncertain but it's naturalized in many marshy sites of tropical areas. Can be propagated from root stocks and seeds and when doing so always remember to scarify seeds and plant it in well drained soil. The calyx teeth, when green, are edible in soups and the huge white flowers attract hawk moths( sphincidae family) at night, i personaly think it's worth watching it!

I have been growing this plant for the last 4+ years. I first started growing it on a chainlink fence and then 3 years ago I upgraded an...Read Mored built a huge arbor that it grows up every year with other vines that I grow. It is very easy to grow once it gets started, I have found out that in texas if I plant it in february it won't grow very much but if I wait and grow it when summer is beginning in may or june it thrives and really takes off in nothing flat. It doesn't start blooming until august or september when I plant it so late.
But in my experience if I wait until the heat arrives then it grows otherwise if I plant it earlier in the season it grows a couple of inches and just stays at that height until the heat comes.
As far as taking care of it I purchase the seeds every year from a retail store. The only other thing I do is plant the seed when the weather starts to get really hot. I just plant the seed and flood it with water. When the texas heat starts to dry up the soil I just flood the seeds again. As you can tell I don't really fertilize the plants or do anything else. Every year I just buy the seeds plant them and watch them grow. They have been growing for the past 4+ years and every so often I thin them out cause the vines start to climb the tree that is over the arbor. I try to harvest the seeds when I can but majority of the time I have better luck just buying them from the store every year. Every year around november december the vine dies out and all that is left is the root, I have never had this plant come back the next year. Morning glory has come back the next year but I have never had moonflower do this. So I just plant it every year. This is a very fragrant plant. I hope this was helpful to everyone. If anyone knows of any other vines that bloom at night and aren't poisonus to animals ( i have 2 cats and a dog) I would like to know I am looking for other plants to grow other than the ones I do now which includes 2 types of jasmine, evergreen wisteria, potato vine, angel trumpet vine and occasionally morning glory and sweet pea

This is an interesting plant that can also be grown from rootings, spontaneous seedlings may be collected at vacant lots during rainy se...Read Moreason and planted as well. Needs care for it not to become weedy; its flowers open at night with a sweet scent attracting bats.

My Mom got these seeds from a friend of my daughter-in-law.
We all live in the same area of northwest Mississippi. When she plant...Read Moreed the seeds, she wasn't even sure how to nuture the plant, or exactly what it would look like. She planted in two spots, and now she has a lovely vine trailing up the wrought iron post and across a string at the side of her carport. Another vine makes its way up an old clothesline post. There are several beautiful, glowing white flowers each evening, with a distinct but delicate aroma. Both vines are brimming with seed pods, which I think are interestingly beautiful. She wasn't sure about how to harvest the seeds, but I have found that information on this site!

I planted a seed (started it in a pot with a plastic w/holes poked in it covering it, placed in pretty direct sunlight), on 10/3/04. It j...Read Moreust sprouted the day before yesterday. I'm veeery new at gardening and am happy that I got anything at all (I know I know, I'm starting a little late). So, I took the plastic off of the pot today, and I hope it doesn't die, as it is getting colder and colder. I planted it with a morning glory but I haven't seen that sprout yet.

A very beautiful native vine found in open wet grassy fields, edges of swamps, marshes, and wetlands, pine flatwoods and other open or we...Read Moret areas in the Southeastern U.S. Has a very nice, attractive scent that may attract wildlife - I wonder if it attracts hummingbirds! Probably attracts pollinating insects. The flower is very beautiful, luminous and white - I really love it and its scent! I'd recommend it for any garden, including native plant or wildlife gardens! This is one of my favorite native plants, even though I havn't yet attempted to grow it.

Love my moonflowers...... very pretty..... too bad they open only at night..... but mine don't bloom too late...... still light enough t...Read Moreo see very well...... around 4 OR 5 SOMETIMES 6 OCLOCK..... worth it even though they bloom late...... easy to grow to start seeds soak untill they swell or chip...... grows in many soils..... full to part sun...... or part shade...... the flowers resemble a dress..... a white dress like a bride..... do bad you can't use them in wedding arrangements..... they look like a bride's dress because they are pure white.... satiny and billow and flutter in the breeze...... the have a pretty cream star in the middle..... the blooms are LARGE...... I don't think this is stated enough.... not the size of a morning glory...... much bigger..... almost as big as a DINNERPLATE dahlia.... bigger than my fingers..... outstrechted or my whole hand...... the smell is not like a typical garden flower sweet or heady....... but nice..... NOT STRONG (SMELL FRAGRANCE)...... the smell is less like tuberose and honeysuckle...... which I love too bad honeysuckle's invasive.... but more LIKE A MODERN PERFUME.... they don't waft.... well very well that is.... stick you nose in it and it smells a bit like TOMMY GIRL OR TOMMY HILFIGER PERFUME......

Our Moonflower vine started blooming around July, and around Mid-August, we noticed something odd. It had started to develop DIFFERENT LE...Read MoreAVES! They were definetely a part of the same plant! I don't understand why this happened, but don't pull the plant with different leaves! It may very well be the same type.

I live in Paducah KY (western end) and was given a moon vine by a neighbor... This is my first exposure to the plant, as I had never hear...Read Mored of it before... The vine is hardy and tonight (8/28/04) my curiosity has been rewarded with a MOST spectacular bloom! After visiting this site, I realized I missed the best part - watching it open up... happily the vine is just loaded with blossems, another looks ready to pop tommorrow night. You can guess where I'll be at dusk! Susan

I planted my vine from seed in April and had to wait until late July for blooms, but they have been well worth the wait. The vine was hu...Read Morege and lush and I thought it would never bloom, but finally I now have several flowers every night. I wouldn't mind if it produced volunteers next year so I am not worried about deadheading for that reason.

I, like several others, have had great luck growing a vine. It has heart shaped leaves and I have 4-6 in 2 lg. pots.one on either side of...Read More an arch. I planted seeds last year too and I have yet to see a single bloom. Something came up beside one of the pots and I thought it had reseeded from last year because it also had heart shaped leaves too, so I started it up the arch but suddenly it seems to be a stronger vine and the leaves changed and are kind of pointed with a little part jutting out each side; I guess kind of like a maple. I water both pots every time the leaves are wilting and have even started using blue water. It has been planted since May.

I purchased some moonflower seeds from a local retail store, not sure what to expect in our Central Illinois climate. After planting eve...Read Morery seed in the package, I was surprised to have almost all of them quickly sprout. Due to the large number, several were given away to family and friends, while I planted three in my own garden. They have had no problem overtaking the trellace that I purchased, and are now reaching for the bedroom window! I keep looking, and finally found some tiny little beginnings of buds today. These are gorgeous, interesting plants! I anticipate the flowers and now hope to grow them every year!

I have tried to grow this plant but with no luck. I really want it to grow so I can smell the flowers at night while I am on my deck. I p...Read Moreurchased some of the plants already started, online from a seed company, and so far are doing okay

I grow moonflowers up the railing of my stoop in Brooklyn, NY. They need warm soil to sprout, so I plant them on Memorial Day weekend aft...Read Moreer soaking and nicking. They usually don't flower until Labor Day weekend, but the leaves make a beautiful thick green screen and the flowers are so spectacular all through September and October that they are worth the wait. They grow with wild abandon on almost no nutrients in a small planter at the base of a brick wall, climbing on a grid of nylon net up to the cast iron stoop railing. Many get over two stories tall, with little fertilizer, although they do require a lot of water. The flowers are large, not as fragrant as advertised, but do open while you watch in the evening, despite a plethora of street lights all around. They are very popular with everyone who sees them. However, the seeds are a mild hallucinogen and attract some of my seedier neighbors. Luckily I always manage to harvest enough for next year's crop despite predations by those seeking their funkier delights because they do produce a prolific number of seeds with a very high germination rate. Seed stores should be kept away from children and pets, however.

I live in Conneaut, Ohio, extreme northeast part and the moonflower grows well.

I live in Nova Scotia, Canada and I have a plant in my garden which I was told was a Moon flower.It grows about 8 inches high, and has a ...Read Moreyellow flower which looks something like the evening primrose. The leaf is long and narrow and looks very much like a dandilion leaf, but the leaf is not as wide. It blooms at dusk , and you can watch it split open ever so slowly, and the flower opens up, then by morning it has wilted. Can you tell me what it is. It is such a fascinating plant, and it is hardy in zone 5A.

I live in Cape Town, South Africa, and have just bought a Moonflower vine plant. It's still in its black bag but it's already about 6 fee...Read Moret tall and flowering profusely. I've never seen this creeper in SA before & want to make sure I plant it in the right position. My back garden has lots of morning sun (facing east) and afternoon sun (facing south). In front there's afternoon sun (facing west) and down the side I get more or less all-day sun (facing south). Our climate's Mediterranean - right now it's supposed to be late autumn/early winter and temps are ranging from lows of 12 to highs of 27 deg C. It's a winter rainfall area.

I live in Northern Virginia and have been planting Moonflowers from seed every spring for the past seven years. By early July I have hug...Read Moree vines and tons of blooms. Before planting I soak the seeds overnight and clip just a little bit of the seed off with dog nail trimmers. I usually have little sprouts in 5 days. After about a month the plant is a foot tall. They go crazy here.

I planted moonflowers while I was living in Kansas. They grew well with large heart-shaped leaves like a morning glory but bigger, and t...Read Morehe flowers were fragrant, huge and attracted hummingbird moths at night. I now live in California and have planted seeds on the south side of my house to help provide shade when it's hot. I'm hoping I have the same success here as I had in Kansas even though the soil is completely different. :)

I love the moonflower vine and we have been growing them for years. They seem to be very forgiving vines as they reward us with gorgeous...Read More blooms and heavenly scent and we hardly have to give them any care. Even here in Hawaii, they will die down in "winter", but come next spring, the volunteer seedlings will be back up. We save seeds to include them in our yearly Christmas gift baskets we prepare for friends in our area.

Grew them in Fort Pierce, Florida (USDA Zone 9), from seed. Soaked for 24 hrs in warm water, slow until June, bloomed end of July and c...Read Moreovered a whole arbor 6'x10', and zillion of flowers opening in the evening. The fragance is amazing.

My only concern was the zillion seeds if they would sprout next spring and become a pest. So far they have not sprouted all over. Will keep you posted. We did have a very light frost this winter.
Argentina

My experience with this plant is extensive. This cousin of the morning glory thrives as an annual vine here in zone 7b, north of Atlanta....Read More I grow this vine at the end of my driveway on a picket fence in heavy clay soil. Anyone having problems getting this plant to bloom should quit fertilizing. The same is true for morning glories. Over-fertilization will cause an abundance of vegetative growth and drastically reduce flowering. I also try to water as little as possible. Don't baby this plant and you will get better results.

I started this from seed about two months ago. They are growing much faster than the white morning glory seeds I started to plant with t...Read Morehem. I've read that the two vines grow fine with each other, and that way, you have flowers both night and day. They are in a sunny east window, where they'll be planted beneath. I was surprised by how strong the seedlings are.

Several years ago I was introduced to and immediately intrigued by this plant. However, my first attempt to grow it from seed failed mise...Read Morerably - it just didn't gow. I made another effort this year and had better luck ... the vine grew, but not one flower appeared. I live in Southeastern Massachusetts, began the plant indoors prior to summer and it had looked quite vigorous. I planted it in the ground and the vine grew, but absolutely no blooms.

Just wanted to share with you that this plant will also grow in Colorado! My parents moved to a new house, and this strange plant started...Read More growing in one of their flower boxes. I urged them to pull it up, thinking it had to be a weed, but they left it to see what it might be. Now it is a huge, 3-4' tall bushy plant, with beautiful dark green leaves and huge white flowers.

They have really enjoyed it, and neighbors come from all around to take pictures of it. It is in a large flowerbox on the north side of the house, and it only gets a little sun in the morning, so that goes against the 'full sun' tip. I know my Dad keeps it well watered - he rarely lets his flowers dry out at all. The flower planter is very large - probably 4'x 2' - so maybe that is the secret: it needs lots of room and lots of good soil. Hope this helps!

I can't grow this plant! Last year I tried growing it in the ground, and none came up. This year I am growing them in a hanging basket ...Read Moreand they are doing poorly - no blooms and foliage is light green and barely spilling over side of pot.

I so want to sit on my porch in the summer and smell this night-time glory; I will try once more next year!

I started Moonflower Vines seeds indoors 8 weeks before last frost here in Minneapolis, Minnesota (U.S.) and planted them out in full sun...Read More on June 1. They quickly covered a 4 X 10 foot trellis and bloomed profusely from August 1 until the first frost. Several of my neighbors now grow them every summer, but I found that I prefer Datura because I don't have to fight to get them to germinate. (When I get a backache from bending over planting seeds, I want the heating pad on my back, not under the moonflower seeds! lol)

I planted seeds last spring (oops should have planted in fall!) and this summer my plant sprouted and grew to three feet tall! It's first...Read More flower bloomed the second week of August! It's doing tremendous for a Mexican plant in Pennsylvania!

This is the first year I have planted moon vines. They are in a large pot on my front porch with full sun. The flowers are lovely but am ...Read Morewondering about the vine. The leaves keep turning yellow and dropping yet I see new growth where the leaves fell off...The vine, at present, looks quite bare of leaves. I am in hardiness zone 6b so this vine is an annual here. We are having a hot humid summer and the vine has grown very nicely.

I brought two starts of this plant from Charleston, South Carolina (U.S.) through the airport and on a plane to central Indiana. While t...Read Morehe actual vine is very healthy, still no signs of flowers- believe me, I check it at all hours! I have used modest amounts of Miracle-gro (water-soluble fertilizer), and keep it watered. It is in full sun. I planted it in mid/late spring and as of this note, it's early August. I want to enjoy this and have been waiting ALL summer!!

I have grown this plant from seed for the past five years both in pots and in the ground, and in the Atlanta area (zone 7b) and Northcent...Read Moreral Florida (zone 8b.) It is easy to save seed, and the large purplish pods that hang throughout the late summer are an attractive addition to the display. I collect the pods just as they turn a chocolate brown color and start to open up. The vines are not frost hardy, so if there are any pods still maturing at frost time, I cut off the pods and bring them inside to dry out and turn brown, and then collect the seeds.

The seeds are large, hard and creamy colored, and turn darker as they get older. I store them in regular paper envelopes (marked with the plant's name) in a cardboard shoebox so they can "breathe," and keep the shoebox in a dry spot like a pantry or closet. In early spring I first lightly nick the seeds, then soak them in warmish water for at least 24 hours, then wrap in wet paper towels and put them in a covered old cooking pot in a warm place, like on top of the refrigerator. If I am starting a lot of different seeds this way in the same pot, I mark the paper towels with the name of the seed with permanent marker which won't run when wet. I then check the pot every day to see if any seeds have sprouted, and I spray the paper towels with a mixture of cammomile tea and warmish water before they dry out to prevent damping off.

Like many plants moonflowers germinate over a good long length of time, so as to ensure survival in case of a late frost. Once the seeds sprout, I plant in Miracle Gro potting soil, in homemade "peat pots," made from empty rolls of paper towels, each "pot" cut about 2 and 1/8 inches long, then packed tightly with potting soil, and placed tightly together in a plastic tray of some sort that drains well, and set in a sunny, warm spot. A spray concoction of camomille tea, liquid Tobasco sauce, and mild dish soap will help prevent damping off and insect damage.

The seedlings grow rapidly, and often I have to then replant them, homemade peat pot and all, into a larger pot. Or, if I've saved enough of them over the winter, I really prefer to plant moonflower seedlings into the bottom of saved milk or juice cartons, cut in half, with holes punched in the bottoms for drainage, as moonflower seedlings are larger than most other plants and have to be transplanted frequently up into larger and larger pots until they are ready to survive outdoors. After the seedlings are big enough to survive cutworms, etc. I plant them in the ground, usually in late April. A toothpick pushed into the ground just next to the seedling stem will prevent cutworms from encircling it, and crumpled up, dried egg shells sprinkled around seedlings will usually prevent snails and slugs getting to them--the shells cut up their soft bottoms. This all may seem like a lot of trouble, but moonflowers are one of the most beautiful and rewarding flowers you can grow, and I always have Moonflowers blooming by the fourth of July.

This is a large vine--mine are currently about 18 feet long, growing atop a six foot fence. And as it a large, vigorous plant with lots of leaf surface and big flowers, it needs a correspondingly large amount of water and fertilizer. So I use Miracle Gro Bloom fertilizer at least once every three weeks or so.

I've noticed that as they grow they lose leaves along the bottom and get to look a little naked, so I'm starting to grow smaller ground covers underneath, like "Blackie" sweetpotato vine for contrast, or I put a piece of broken pot across the bottom of the vines--this protects this sensitive point from racoons and dogs--see my posted picture.

I have experimented to see if lighter seeds germinate better than heavier seeds, floaters versus non floaters, darker colored versus lighter colored, and have found no perceptable difference, so I try to start any seed that is not obviously "dead."

September 8, 2003: Have just collected three seeds from my first dried pod, but there are many, many pods hanging on the vines, and the vines are still vigorously blooming, better than ever, now that our rains have abated somewhat and they are getting more sun. In my experience these plants need at least a half day's sun to bloom well, preferably in the morning, and full sun with just late afternoon shade will just about smother the plants with flowers every evening, provided they are highly fertilized and watered.

I just purchased some seed for the Moonflower and planted. They germinated and have sprouted up in 5 days. I am looking forward to some...Read More great showy flowers. I live in eastern North Carolina (U.S.) and we have had plenty of warm humid weather.

I have just planted a few Moonflower seeds in the garden next to a trellis. I understand that they could be difficult to grow. I have on...Read Morely seen pictures and think they are beautiful and look forward to enjoying them in my garden.

I bought 2 young plants last year from a local shop. They didn't grow too much for the first month but after that they went wild. Betwe...Read Moreen the two I had up to 15 blooms at a time. The biggest blooms I have ever seen. This was my first experience with MoonFlowers and I live in Michigan. Just last week I started the seeds from last years plants. If all goes well I will have moonflower mania this summer.

This is a beautiful vine, and the aroma at night is pleasant. This is from my grandmother's house originally. I have cut off branches a...Read Morend set in water or soft soil and given as starters to friends-several times. I do not have to really water this and have never done anything to fertilize these. I do have to prune this back every spring and sometimes at the end of summer too. The vine is so lovely and the aroma at night is so sweet. For my grandmother though, her hay fever was bothered with this when it was by her bedroom window. The plant had to be planted on the back fence and this was fine.

The grower that sold the plant to my friend, told her that the leaves are slightly toxic to dogs.