Not All Morning Glories Are Thugs; Some Are Very Friendly!

There are a few types of morning glories you can grow that won't be invasive, especially in the cooler climates. Ipomoea nil is one of them, and there are so many different varieties that your head will spin. Some of them even have lime green and variegated leaves to add to their beauty. The seeds very rarely overwinter, so they usually don't come up the following spring and become a problem. Even in the warmer climates they aren't much trouble. The seed pods are easy to collect so they don't drop all over, and, you will have more for next year.

Ipomoea tricolor is another type whose seeds rarely overwinter, and they come in lovely light-blue colors we don't often see in flowers. The tricolors tend to bloom a bit later in the season, so they are a nice pop of color for the end of summer.

My favorite are the old fashioned purpureas, the ones most gardeners seem to "dislike" so much. They are known to be invasive and out of control, and some people even call them weeds. OH, NO. They are easily controlled just by cutting the vine down before lots of seeds drop, and if you don't want to do that, or can't do that, then just mow them down or weedwhack them away when they start to pop up the following spring. They also have shallow roots and are easily pulled.

Another easy way to grow your favorite morning glory is to grow it in a pot. Then you can control exactly where the seeds go. They do well with a bit of bloom-booster fertilizer and plenty of water.

Don't shy away from some beautiful blooms to brighten up your morning. They come in almost every color, from almost black to pure white: pink, purple, yellow, blue, multicolor, stripes, stars, and speckles! Grow some morning glories now and you will be hooked on them forever. Below are just some of the beauties you could be growing!