"Moon flower", or moon-flowering morning glory, is an unusual herbaceous plant. Its varieties are both perennial and annual. A beautiful climbing liana has funnel-shaped or tubular flowers. The homeland of the "moon flower" is considered to be the tropical part of America.
Description of the moon-flowering morning glory
The whole leaves of the plant have arrow-shaped tips at the base. They are arranged alternately, on long petioles, on rather strong twisted stems. Such a plant can twine around almost any support. The delightful corolla of the flower is formed by gracefully intergrown petals. The morning glory fruit is a seed capsule.
Beneficial features
The plant tubers are rich in extraordinary biologically active substances. Often they are used for food. They taste like slightly sweet frozen potatoes. To date, Ipomoea is not used for medicinal purposes.
Thanks to the beautiful graceful stems of the "moon flower", it perfectly shades the terrace, hiding certain areas from direct sunlight. Moreover, such a hedge can take various forms. Morning glory helps decorate trees that cannot be eliminated. With a sufficient amount of land, "moon flower" can be grown at home on loggias and balconies.
Cultivation of the "moon flower"
Ipomoea can be propagated by seeds. To do this, they are sown in the spring in the ground. To achieve early flowering, seedlings are grown in advance. It should be borne in mind that the plant is quite difficult to tolerate transplants. In the culture, morning glory is undemanding to soil and unpretentious. Liana develops well and grows in open, sunny places. For regular and abundant flowering, experts recommend systematic fertilizing with mineral fertilizers.
An excellent vine requires sufficient light intensity if it is grown at home. On the site, it develops well in open areas. Some plant varieties require wind protection. This flower is not picky about the soil. It grows excellently on almost any substrate, but gives preference to loose and nutritious. For optimal shaping, the vine needs a strong vertical support.
When growing a "moon flower", one should not forget about sufficient watering and regular weeding. The plant does not tolerate strong stagnation of water in a flower bed or area. During the period of active growth and flowering, morning glory is in dire need of feeding. However, with an excess of fertilizers, flowering becomes scarce, exclusively green mass of leaves grows. Various diseases and pests are not terrible for the plant.
