Ipomoea spp.
The Morning Glories
Family: Convolvulaceae
For a while in Arizona there were some misguided and lazy laws restricting the growing of any species of Ipomoea. Instead of identifying the invasive Ipomoea species, the entire genus was outlawed. This has finally changed and we can grow our own native morning glory plants, some of which are rare or uncommon.
Morning glories are mostly vines, some are ground hugging (there are a few shrubby and tree morning glories, not included here). Some are annual species that reseed themselves readily. Others are deciduous perennial species re-emerging from tubers in spring.
There are 621 species. 14 of those species are in Arizona.
The name Ipomoea is derived from the Ancient Greek, ips, meaning 'woodworm', and hómoios, meaning "resembling". It refers to their twining habit.
Ipomoea capillacea
Purple Morning Glory
Smaller, ground-hugging vine with linear leaves, and relatively large, purple (rarely white) flowers that appear summer into fall.
Plant in full to part sun, moderate to regular water, hardiness unknown but plants are native to up to 8500’ in Arizona, so hardy enough for most of our region.
Found in pine forests, oak woodlands, and plains, from 5,000-8,500 ft. in Arizona, New Mexico, and south through Mexico.
The species name, capillacea, comes from the latin ‘capillarg’, meaning hair-like, thread-like, in reference to the foliage.
Photo by Sue Carnahan, SEINET
Ipomoea capillacea on iNaturalist
Ipomoea cardiophylla
Hearleaf Morning Glory
Annual, warm season-growing vine climbing at least 10’ or more. In late summer into fall, sky blue flowers with greenish yellow throats appear. This plant is identified from other blue flowered Ipomoea species by its virtually hairlessness.
Part sun is ideal in the low desert, regular water. This plant reseeds itself readily, but save seed if you want to ensure. you have these each year.
Found in desertscrub; below 3700 ft in Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, south into southern Mexico.
The species name, cardiophylla, means heart-leaf, referring to the shape of the leaves.
Photo by Frank Coburn, SEINET
Ipomoea cardiophylla on iNaturalist
Ipomoea costellata
Crestrib Morning Glory
Smaller, annual, warm season-growing vine reaching up to 4’ high or clamoring on the ground. Pink to magenta flowers summer into fall.
Part sun, moderate water, plants reseed readily but save seed to ensure you have plants for the next year.
Found in rocky areas in chaparral, oak woodlands, and ponderosa pine forests; 3,000-7,000 ft in Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, south into southern Mexico.
The species name, costellata, comes from costa, Latin for ribbed, referring to the stems.
Photo by Max Licher, SEINET
Ipomoea costellata on iNaturalist
Ipomoea cristulata
Trans-Pecos Morning Glory
Annual, warm season-growing vine that reaches about 10’ high. Spring through fall (starting earlier than many native morning glories) red, tubular flowers appear.
Plant in part sun, regular water. Plants reseed themselves readily but save seed to ensure you have plants for the next year.
This species has obviously evolved to take advantage of specific hummingbird pollination
Photo by Max Licher, SEINET
Ipomoea cristulata on iNaturalist
Found in disturbed areas, roadsides, chapparal, oak woodlands, and pine forests, from 2,500-9,000 ft in Arizona, California, New Mexico, Texas and south into Mexico. There are a few other locales sprinkled about the southwestern United States.
The species epithet, cristulata, comes from the Latin word crista, meaning crest, so the diminutive form, cristulata indicates having a small crest, a feature that is evident on both the sepals and the fruits of this species.
There is a long history of mis-naming this species as Ipomoea coccinea.
Ipomoea leptophylla
Bush Morning Glora
Perennial, deciduous vine growing from large underground tubers. Viney stems reach out 4’ or more. Summertime produces large purple flowers.
Full to part sun, moderate water with good drainage. Extremely cold hardy, to -25°F (yes, negative twenty five degrees).
Native to the Great Plains of western North America.
The Latin specific epithet leptophylla means "fine- or slender-leaved."
Photo by Paul Rothrock, SEINET
Ipomoea leptophylla on iNaturalist
Ipomoea longifolia
Pink Throat Morning Glory
Viney perennial plant, usually growing prostrate on the ground like a ground cover, emerging from a tuberous root. Spring through fall large purple flowers with dark throats appear.
Full to part sun, moderate water with good drainage. Hardiness unknown but probably at least down into the teens °F, probably lower.
Found on plains and mesas, desert grasslands and oak woodlands, from 3,000-6,000 ft. in Arizona, south into Mexico.
The species name, longifolia, means long leaf referring to the foliage of this plant.
Photo by Sue Carnahan, SEINET
Ipomoea longifolia on iNaturalist
Ipomoea plummerae
Huachuca Morning Glory
This species is a dainty, low-growing perennial herb that hugs the ground and spreads about 2’ wide. Pink, white, or purple flowers, sometimes with white patterns, summer into fall.
Part sun, regular water with good drainage. Hardiness unknown but probably at least into the single digits °F.
Found on open, rocky slopes, from 4,500-8,500 ft in Arizona, New Mexico, south into Mexico.
The species name plummerae is named for Sara Plummer Lemmon, prominent early collector in Arizona and wife of John Lemmon. The pair were the first to scale Mt Lemmon and the mountain was named in their honor.
Photo by Andrew Tree, iNaturalist
Ipomoea plummerae on SEINET
Ipomoea tenuiloba
Spiderleaf Morning Glory
Perennial vining, ground hugging plant growing from tuberous roots. Flowers are large and generally white, though sometimes purple, pink, lavender, etc. The foliage is much longer and spidery than I. capillacea which is also generally pink.
Part sun, moderate water with good drainage, hardiness unknown but at least hardy to about 15°F.
Found in oak and juniper woodlands, to 6,000 ft. in Arizona, New Mexico, far southwestern Texas, and adjacent Mexico.
The epithet tenuiloba means "with slender lobes" in reference to its leaves.
Photo by Alejandra Peña Estrada, iNaturalist
Ipomoea tenuiloba on SEINET
Ipomoea ternifolia
Tripleleaf Morning Glory
Annual, or sometimes tap-rooted perennial (if young plant receives enough resources when young) generally growing along the ground and reaching about 4’ wide. Purple to white, rarely pinkish flowers summer into fall.
Part sun, moderate water with good drainage. Plants reseed readily, but to ensure you have plants for the next year, save seeds. Take good care of these plants and they will perennialize. Not known how long they can live or how much cold they can take as a perennial, but probably definitely hardy enough for Tucson or Phoenix.
Found on plains among desert scrub from 3,500-5,000 ft. in Arizona south into central Mexico.
The species name ternifolia comes from Latin terni, three, and folia for leaf.