Moonflower (Ipomoea alba) in the Morning Glories Database

General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit:	Vine
Life cycle:	Perennial
Sun Requirements:	Full Sun Full Sun to Partial Shade Partial or Dappled Shade
Water Preferences:	Mesic
Minimum cold hardiness:	Zone 7a -17.8 °C (0 °F) to -15 °C (5 °F)
Maximum recommended zone:	Zone 11
Plant Height:	6-12 feet, twining climber.
Plant Spread:	6-12 feet
Leaves:	Deciduous
Flowers:	Showy Fragrant Nocturnal Other: Blooms open in the evening and last until mid morning of the next day.
Flower Color:	White
Bloom Size:	3"-4"
Flower Time:	Summer Late summer or early fall
Underground structures:	Taproot
Uses:	Suitable as Annual
Wildlife Attractant:	Butterflies
Resistances:	Humidity tolerant
Propagation: Seeds:	Scarify seeds: chip, click, or soak Needs specific temperature: 70 to 85° Days to germinate: 7 to 30 Depth to plant seed: 1/2 inch, or just lightly cover with soil. Sow in situ
Containers:	Suitable in 3 gallon or larger Needs excellent drainage in pots
Miscellaneous:	Goes Dormant

Victory Seed Company sells seeds of Moonflower (Ipomoea alba).

Common names

Moonflower
Moon Vine
Evening Glory
Morning Glory
Belle-de-Nuit

Botanical names

Accepted: Ipomoea alba
Synonym: Calonyction aculeatum
Synonym: Ipomoea bona-nox
Synonym: Operculina grandiflora

Photo Gallery

Date: summer 2006
Hummingbird Moth 'getting into it'

Uploaded by jmorth

Uploaded by joannakat

Uploaded by Jai_Ganesha

Uploaded by joannakat

Date: 2011-08-27
Wonderful flower for a moon garden of course!

Uploaded by luvsgrtdanes

Location: Broken Arrow, OK
Date: 2017-09-21

Uploaded by Zebraduck

Location: Coastal San Diego County
Date: 2018-09-11
1st bloom of the season

Uploaded by carlysuko

Location: Elkhart
Date: 2019-09-12
Moonflower

Uploaded by JayZeke

Uploaded by Jai_Ganesha

Uploaded by purpleinopp

Location: Ingleside. Illinois
Date: 2023-03-31

Uploaded by antsinmypants

Uploaded by Jai_Ganesha

Location: La Crescenta, CA
Date: 2018-10-28

Uploaded by JulieB

Location: Elberfeld, Indiana
Date: 2019-10-12

Uploaded by blue23rose

Location: Athol, MA
Date: 2019-09-21
Entwined in lily stalks

Uploaded by joannakat

Location: Oceanside, California
Date: 2019-08-25
In my garden

Uploaded by carlysuko

Location: Elkhart
Date: 2019-09-30
Moonflower

Uploaded by JayZeke

Location: Summeville, SC
Night shot using 40% Flash F8/30 on tripod

Uploaded by Xeramtheum

Uploaded by joannakat

Uploaded by joannakat

Uploaded by JayZeke

Uploaded by EmmaGrace

Uploaded by Chantell

Location: Elkhart
Date: 2019-09-12
Moonflower bud

Uploaded by JayZeke

Uploaded by JayZeke

Location: Mum and Dad's house, Brockton, MA
Mum's Moonflower

Uploaded by capenancy

Uploaded by Jai_Ganesha

Location: Sebastian, Florida
Date: 2020-04-20

Uploaded by plantladylin

Date: 2011-10-17
Blooms look like White Satin

Uploaded by EmmaGrace

Location: Tarlton, OH
Date: 2017-08-24
This one opened in the morning and closed in the evening.

Uploaded by m33jones2

Date: 2011-08-27
Almost looks like and ice cream swirl!

Uploaded by luvsgrtdanes

Location: all photos from my garden
Date: 2014-08-24

Uploaded by poisondartfrog

Uploaded by TexasPlumeria87

Location: In my garden in Oklahoma City
Date: Summer, 2018
Moonflower (Ipomoea alba) 011

Uploaded by jathton

Uploaded by blue23rose

Location: my garden
Date: 2007-09-19
Ipomoea alba on roof of arbor, beneath trees

Uploaded by Bluespiral

Uploaded by JayZeke

Date: 2011-10-17
Backside of Bloom is almost as pretty as the Front

Uploaded by EmmaGrace

Location: My garden in northeast Texas
Date: 2012-09-12

Uploaded by Avedon

Uploaded by Murky

Uploaded by JayZeke

Uploaded by JulieB

Location: In my garden in Oklahoma City
Date: Summer, 2018
Moonflower (Ipomoea alba) 003

Uploaded by jathton

Location: Ingleside. Illinois
Date: 2021-02-27

Uploaded by antsinmypants

Uploaded by TexasPlumeria87

Location: Elkhart
Date: 2019-09-24
Moonflower

Uploaded by JayZeke

Uploaded by piksihk

Uploaded by RoseA32

Location: Concord, NC zone 7
Date: 2015-09-29

Uploaded by Hemophobic

Location: Coastal San Diego County
Date: 2018-09-11
First bloom of the season

Uploaded by carlysuko

Uploaded by Chelseazinnia

Location: Alabama Gulf Coast (z8b)
Date: October

Uploaded by MossyOwls

Uploaded by EmmaGrace

Location: Plano, TX
Date: 2013-03-12
3 week old seedling

Uploaded by TexasPlumeria87

Uploaded by JayZeke

Uploaded by gingin

Location: Broken Arrow, OK
Date: 2017-09-19

Uploaded by Zebraduck

Location: central Illinois
Date: 8-24-07

Uploaded by jmorth

Location: Des Plaines, IL
Date: mid-September

Uploaded by Murky

Uploaded by m33jones2

Location: Daytona Beach, Florida
Date: 2012-07-31

Uploaded by plantladylin

Location: Daytona Beach, Florida
Date: 2012-07-31
Blooms began to pop open after an evening rain storm

Uploaded by plantladylin

Location: NC zone 7
Date: early spring
newly germinated seeds...sown inside under lights

Uploaded by JJsgarden

Location: In my garden in Oklahoma City
Date: Summer, 2018
Moonflower (Ipomoea alba) 010

Uploaded by jathton

Uploaded by blue23rose

Location: Newmanstown, PA
Date: 2018-08-03

Uploaded by 62latour

Location: Daytona Beach, Florida
Date: 2012-07-08

Uploaded by plantladylin

Location: central Illinois
Date: 2009-09-13

Uploaded by jmorth

Uploaded by QueenDreama

Uploaded by Shannon

Uploaded by Shannon

Uploaded by piksihk

Location: My Greenwood, MN garden
Date: 2016-09-04

Uploaded by capenancy

Location: Alabama Gulf Coast (z8b)
Date: September

Uploaded by MossyOwls

Location: Riverside, CA
Date: 2015-12-01

Uploaded by JulieB

Location: La Crescenta, CA
Date: 2017-07-02

Uploaded by JulieB

Uploaded by blue23rose

Uploaded by blue23rose

Photo courtesy of Annie's Annuals and Perennials

Uploaded by Calif_Sue

Location: Greenwood, MN
Date: 2015-10-04

Uploaded by capenancy

Location: Oceanside, California
Date: 2019-08-02
In my garden

Uploaded by carlysuko

Uploaded by TexasPlumeria87

Location: Elkhart
Date: 2019-09-09
Moonflower bud

Uploaded by JayZeke

Uploaded by piksihk

Location: central Illinois
Date: 9-18-09

Uploaded by jmorth

Location: Concord, NC zone 7
Date: 2015-10-13
Wish you could smell the fragrance!

Uploaded by Hemophobic

Uploaded by QueenDreama

Location: Western Kentucky
Date: Summer 2010
Late evening blooms

Uploaded by Sharon

Location: Concord, NC zone 7
Date: 2015-09-11
Moonflowers are so lovely and I can't wait for this bud to bloom!

Uploaded by Hemophobic

Location: Riverside, CA
Date: 2014-06-06

Uploaded by JulieB

Location: In my garden in Oklahoma City
Date: Summer, 2018
Moonflower (Ipomoea alba) 001

Uploaded by jathton

Location: In my garden in Oklahoma City
Date: Summer, 2018
Moonflower (Ipomoea alba) 002

Uploaded by jathton

Location: In my garden in Oklahoma City
Date: Summer, 2018
Moonflower (Ipomoea alba) 004

Uploaded by jathton

Location: In my garden in Oklahoma City
Date: Summer, 2018
Moonflower (Ipomoea alba) 006

Uploaded by jathton

Location: In my garden in Oklahoma City
Date: Summer, 2018
Moonflower (Ipomoea alba) 008

Uploaded by jathton

Location: In my garden in Oklahoma City
Date: Summer, 2018
Moonflower (Ipomoea alba) 009

Uploaded by jathton

Location: In my garden NC zone 7
Date: Oct. 2002
unripened seed pods

Uploaded by JJsgarden

Location: Central Texas
Date: 2013-08-16

Uploaded by Rocks2Blooms

Location: central Illinois
Date: 2014-02-03

Uploaded by jmorth

Uploaded by piksihk

Uploaded by Calif_Sue

Location: central Illinois
Date: 2005-09-27
w/ morning glory (cousins)

Uploaded by jmorth

Location: Scranton, Pennsylvania
Date: 2021-09-14
Stunning moon flower with the moon!

Uploaded by Marcerick

Uploaded by piksihk

Location: Riverside, CA
Date: 2015-07-08

Uploaded by JulieB

Location: Riverside, CA
Date: 2015-05-19

Uploaded by JulieB

Location: central Illinois
Date: 2009-09-10
White on white in the black night

Uploaded by jmorth

Uploaded by dave

Uploaded by TexasPlumeria87

Location: Concord, NC zone 7
Date: 2015-09-29
What a beauty and fragrance to match!

Uploaded by Hemophobic

Location: Elkhart
Date: 2019-09-25
Moonflower

Uploaded by JayZeke

Uploaded by JayZeke

Uploaded by plantladylin

Photo Courtesy of Select Seeds. Used with permission.

Uploaded by Joy

Location: My Northeastern Indiana Gardens
Date: Sep 28, 2011 1:19 PM

Uploaded by chelle

Location: central Illinois
Date: 2004-09-24

Uploaded by jmorth

Uploaded by m33jones2

Uploaded by plantladylin

Location: In my garden in Oklahoma City
Date: Summer, 2018
Moonflower (Ipomoea alba) 005

Uploaded by jathton

Location: In my garden in Oklahoma City
Date: Summer, 2018
Moonflower (Ipomoea alba) 007

Uploaded by jathton

Location: Daytona Beach, Florida
Date: 2012-07-01

Uploaded by plantladylin

Location: Daytona Beach, Florida
Date: 2012-07-02
My husband says it's very fragrant and I can't smell a thing!!

Uploaded by plantladylin

Location: Daytona Beach, Florida
Date: 2012-06-29

Uploaded by plantladylin

Location: Daytona Beach, Florida
Date: 2012-07-12

Uploaded by plantladylin

Location: Daytona Beach, Florida
Date: 2012-07-07

Uploaded by plantladylin

Location: Fountain, Florida
Date: 2012-05-22

Uploaded by gingin

Location: central Illinois
Date: 10-14-07

Uploaded by jmorth

Location: Fountain, Florida
Date: 2011-11-11

Uploaded by gingin

Location: central Illinois
Date: 2005-09-14
w/ Sweet Autumn Clematis

Uploaded by jmorth

Uploaded by QueenDreama

Location: Daytona Beach, Florida
Date: 2012-07-30
More Seedpods

Uploaded by plantladylin

Location: Daytona Beach, Florida
Date: 2012-07-29
Unripe pods

Uploaded by plantladylin

This plant is tagged in:

Comments:

Posted by gingin (Fountain, Florida - Zone 8b) on Sep 27, 2011 3:19 PM concerning plant:

I love this plant! Not only is it pretty, but it also smells wonderful. It is fun to sit and watch it open up. Had one that was almost open and when I went to sniff, it "exploded" in my face...way cool.

Reply to this comment
Posted by plantladylin (Sebastian, Florida - Zone 10a) on Sep 7, 2012 1:46 PM concerning plant:

Evening Glory has become one of my favorite plants for its large, fragrant nocturnal flowers. Ipomoea alba seeds germinate quickly and before you know it you have this wonderful vine gracing your garden with those gorgeous white blooms! In late May I sowed a packet of seeds beneath a small tree next to our deck. By the end of June the vine was climbing all over the tree, and by July 1st it was covered in blooms and has been a robust bloomer all summer! It's a great choice for the garden or as a container plant climbing up a trellis. It should definitely be planted in a location where it can be seen in the evening and at night ... for instance by a back porch, or near the front door, or a walkway where your guests will surely notice this beauty! Always an attention getter, "Evening Glory" is a wonderful vine to incorporate into one's garden!

Reply to this comment
Posted by Jenn (Trenton, TX - Zone 8a) on Nov 29, 2011 7:55 PM concerning plant:

I love planting these together with morning glory. I plant them both in large rectangular planters, and let them climb up two trellises that I have mounted to the brick facing of the house. They look so beautiful! I find that though they're not terribly xeric, they can take a lot of heat, and are prolific growers. Both moonflowers and morning glory are annuals in my part of the world (North Texas), but they often reseed themselves, and sprout back up in the spring. They actually reseed a little too well. I'm often pulling stray shoots out from parts of the garden where they're not meant to be! A little extra weeding is well worth having these beauties in your garden.

1 reply

Plant Events from our members
piksihk	On June 30, 2022	Bloomed
piksihk	On September 24, 2021	Bloomed
piksihk	On January 4, 2021	Plant Ended (Removed, Died, Discarded, etc) Collected seeds
piksihk	On November 16, 2020	Harvested seeds
piksihk	On July 4, 2020	Bloomed Transplanted to back/ginger
piksihk	On December 29, 2019	Seeds sown Soaking in water
piksihk	On March 16, 2018	Seeds sown added more seeds with yellow butterfly vine
piksihk	On March 18, 2017	Transplanted 1 - frt side 2- frt MB
piksihk	On March 14, 2017	Seeds germinated Soaked over night placed on wet paper towel
dragonfetti	On October 24, 2014	Bloomed Planted late in the season but had one huge bloom.
carlysuko	On June 12, 2019	Obtained plant Purchased from Select Seeds
antsinmypants	On April 11, 2024	Miscellaneous Event Placed in moist paper towel. (5)
antsinmypants	On May 23, 2023	Transplanted 4 - 2 in the ground on either side of pot at the end of Garden Two.
antsinmypants	On March 28, 2023	Plant emerged All 4 seedlings have emerged.
antsinmypants	On March 24, 2023	Seeds sown Sown after a 24-hour soak. 4
antsinmypants	On May 17, 2022	Seeds sown 1 Into pot by bat house.
antsinmypants	On March 4, 2021	Plant emerged All 3 emerged.
antsinmypants	On March 2, 2021	Seeds sown One seed sown after 12+ hour soak. One sprouted while soaking. Leaving the other two in water a while longer.
lovesblooms	On April 14, 2020	Miscellaneous Event soaked in water, no heat
MrsBinWY	On February 5, 2021	Seeds germinated 1st radical emerging on 2-5-2021; 2nd radical emerging on 2-7-2021. Three rotted (good chance these were the "floaters"). On the 6th seed, the radical started emerging, but the rest of the seed was mushy (might have been the "bobber"). Potted the two good germinated seeds up as the radicals emerged.
MrsBinWY	On January 31, 2021	Seeds sown 6 seeds from poisondartfrog's 2015G; chipped, soaked & put on moist coffee filter in baggie @ warm room temp. 3 floaters, 2 sinkers, 1 that bobbed up and down
paleohunter	On March 27, 2024	Seeds sown
TomatoNut95	On February 18, 2025	Seeds sown One seed soaked overnight and sown this morning.

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Morning Glories Moonflower (Ipomoea alba)

Morning Glories

Moonflower (Ipomoea alba)