Ivyleaf Morningglory-Morningglory Family

Ipomoea nil

Characteristics. There are two species of morningglory (tall and ivyleaf) that are native to tropical America and are often cultivated as ornamentals. In some situations both are also considered as weeds.

Identifying Characteristics. Ivyleaf morningglory has a well-developed taproot and leaves that vary from heart shaped or more commonly 3 to 5 lobed. Tall morning glory has a fibrous root system and heart shaped leaves.

The 1 to 2 inch diameter flowers of both species range in color from white to purple.

Most morning glory flowers curl up and close during the warm parts of the day, and are fully open in the morning, thus their name. On a cloudy day, the flower may last until night. The flowers usually start to fade a couple of hours before the petals start showing visible curling. They prefer full sun throughout the day and mesic soils. Some morning glories, such as Ipomoea muricata, are night blooming flowers.

In some places such as Australian bushland, some species of morning glories (bindweed) develop thick roots and tend to grow in dense thickets. They can quickly spread by way of long creeping stems. By crowding out, blanketing and smothering other plants, morning glory has turned into a serious invasive weed problem.

In cultivation, most are treated as perennial plants in frost-free areas and as annual plants in colder climates, but some species tolerate winter cold. There are some species which are strictly annual (eg. I. nil), producing many seeds, and some perennial species (eg. I. indica) which are propagated by cuttings. Some moonflowers, which flower at night, are also in the morning glory family.

Because of their fast growth, twining habit, attractive flowers, and tolerance for poor, dry soils, some morning glories are excellent vines for creating summer shade on building walls when trellised, thus keeping the building cooler and reducing heating and cooling costs.

Popular varieties in contemporary western cultivation include 'Sunspots', 'Heavenly Blue', the moonflower, the cypress vine, and the cardinal climber. The cypress vine is a hybrid, with the cardinal climber as one parent.

Morning glory was first known in China for its medicinal uses, due to the laxative properties of its seeds.

It was introduced to the Japanese in the 9th century, and they were first to cultivate it as an ornament. A rare brownish-colored variant known as Danjuro is very popular. During the Edo Period, it became a very popular ornamental flower.

Ancient Mesoamerican civilizations used the morning glory species Ipomoea alba to convert the latexfrom the Castilla elastica tree and also the guayule plant to produce bouncing rubber balls. The sulfur in the morning glory's juice served to vulcanize the rubber, a process pre-dating Charles Goodyear's discovery by at least 3,000 years. Aztec priests in Mexico were also known to use the plant's hallucinogenic properties.

The morning glory represents "love in vain" for whatever outside circumstances according to the Victorian "Language of Flowers", which attributed various properties and sentiments to flowers so that people could communicate their feelings by what flowers were given as gifts, such as those by a suitor to their loved one."(What's the Story) Morning Glory?" is the title of British rock band Oasis's second album, released in October 1995.The line "What's the story, morning glory?" is the opening to "The Telephone Hour" from the musical Bye Bye Birdie.Wake Up Honey, a song from the 2008 album Azn Pride -This Iz the Japanese Kabuki Rock- by Miyavi, whose chorus uses the flower metaphorically in reference to the way the flower blooms early in the morning; is an early riser.

Ipomoea aquatica, known as water spinach, water morning-glory, water convolvulus, Ong-Choy, Kang-kung, or swamp cabbage, is popularly used as a green vegetable especially in East and Southeast Asian cuisines. In the USA it is a Federal Noxious Weed, and technically it's illegal to grow, import, possess, or sell. See: USDA weed factsheet. As of 2005, the state of Texas has acknowledged that water spinach is a highly prized vegetable in many cultures and has allowed water spinach to be grown for personal consumption. This is in part because water spinach is known to have been grown in Texas for more than fifteen years and has not yet escaped cultivation. The fact that it goes by so many names means that it easily slips through import inspections, and it is often available in Asian or specialty produce markets

The seeds of many species of morning glory contain ergot alkaloids such as the hallucinogenic ergonovine and ergine (LSA). Seeds of I. tricolor and T. corymbosa (syn. R. corymbosa) are used as psychedelics. The seeds can produce a similar effect to LSD when taken in the hundreds. Though the chemical LSA is illegal to possess in pure form, the seeds are found in many gardening stores; however, the seeds from commercial sources are often coated in some form of pesticide or methylmercury to retard spoilage - these coatings are especially dangerous if one has a history of liver disorders and may also cause neurological damage.