Ipomoea Species, Morning Glory, Tree Morning Glory

I used to live where these grew in the scrub land and hills in the Sonoran Desert. The following is an extensive observation of the tree ...Read MoreI have noted.

This is a beautiful tree, its perpetual large buds open into stunning white flowers throughout the winter months. It is a sight to see, especially when there is a hillside dotted with them.

In the summer it grows leaves and does make a little bit of shade. The average dimensions of the trunk is about 10 inches in diameter, and it grows about 15-20 feet tall. Consisting of one main trunk with 3-5 large branches, from which smaller branches shoot up vertically.

Deer eat the fallen flower petals, as the tree grows petals almost indefinitely they become quite frequent feeding destinations for deer. Local hunters choose them as spots to wait for game, and I have seen a few platforms built in this type of tree. Some are climbable, although the peak height one can reach is normally about 7-12 feet, as the main supporting trunk usually doesn't extend much further.

The bark is light gray, and from a distance may appear to be white. Near populated areas the bark is often used as a natural graffiti canvas, and its rare not to see one without some inscription carved into the trunk. The trunk of a large tree may feel cool to the touch. When felled, one can observe that the wood is very soft, usually containing a high moisture content, which may appear "milky". After it is felled the wood will decompose into a rotten cardboard consistency within a matter of weeks due to the loss of its moisture.

Under natural growing conditions that I have observed, they usually are fairly wide spaced, say one every 20-40 feet. Hilly regions vs flat appears to affect how close they grow together but I cannot recall exactly. I have noted two or three fairly close to each other.

Had this plant for 2 years in a pot and it remained very small. Put it in the ground this past spring and within 2 months it grew to over...Read More 7 ft tall and 4 ft wide. Had no idea it grew this big. It has been blooming nonstop since it reached about 3ft but I have not seen any seeds.