(Ipomoea nil ‘Picotee Blue’)
Picotee Blue Morning Glory is a warm-weather annual flowering vine that is native to Mexico and South America but can be found growing throughout the southern United States. At maturity, the vines of this plant can reach a length of 6-9' and features heart-shaped dark green leaves and dramatic 6" blue blooms with bright white edging a purple star inside. This plant can be grown in containers or hanging baskets, attracts bees, butterflies, hoverflies, and hummingbirds, has medicinal properties, and self-sows!
Genus: Ipomoea
Species: nil
Variety: Picotee Blue Morning Glory
Native to: Argentina Northeast, Argentina Northwest, Aruba, Bahamas, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil North, Brazil Northeast, Brazil South, Brazil Southeast, Brazil West-Central, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Galápagos, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Leeward Is., Mexico Central, Mexico Gulf, Mexico Northeast, Mexico Northwest, Mexico Southeast, Mexico Southwest, Netherlands Antilles, Nicaragua, Panamá, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Suriname, Trinidad-Tobago, Uruguay, Venezuela, Windward Is.
Introduced into: Alabama, Bangladesh, Bermuda, California, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Provinces, Central African Repu, Chad, China North-Central, China South-Central, China Southeast, Christmas I., Comoros, Congo, Cuba, East Himalaya, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Florida, Ghana, Greece, Guinea, Gulf of Guinea Is., Hainan, India, Inner Mongolia, Ivory Coast, Jawa, Korea, KwaZulu-Natal, Laos, Lesser Sunda Is., Louisiana, Madagascar, Malaya, Maluku, Mauritius, Myanmar, Namibia, Nansei-shoto, Nepal, New Caledonia, New Guinea, Nigeria, Northern Territory, Pakistan, Philippines, Queensland, Rodrigues, Réunion, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Socotra, South China Sea, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Sulawesi, Sumatera, Tanzania, Texas, Thailand, Tibet, Uganda, Vietnam, West Himalaya, Western Australia, Yemen, Zambia, Zaïre, Zimbabwe.
Ease of Growing: Moderate
Grown as: Annual
Bloom Time: Spring, Late spring or early summer. Summer, Late summer or early fall
Growing Habit: Vine
Hardiness: Half Hardy. Morning glory will sprout again after a light frost but will not tolerate a hard freeze.
Crops: Spring Transplant, Spring
Growing Season: Short, Long
Growing Conditions: Cool, Warm. Morning glory will grow best in a sunny part of the garden in areas with cooler summers, but should be placed in a partially shady spot in areas with hotter summer days.
Outdoor Growing Temp: 50°F - 90°F
Min Outdoor Soil Temp: 55°F. Seeds will germinate at 55-68˚ but will take longer to germinate above 65˚F
Start Indoors: Yes
Start Outdoors: Yes
Light: Sun: min. 6 hours daily (Cool). Morning glory grow best in the sun in areas with cooler summers.
Water: Moderate. For the best flavor, keep Morning glory well watered. This helps to neutralize the spiciness of the greens and flowers.
Feeder: Light. Grow Morning glory in soil that is higher in Phosphorus and Potassium than Nitrogen. Growing Morning glory in nitrogen rich soil produces more vegetative growth and discourages blooming.
Suitability: Needs summer shade
Small Gardens?: Yes
Containers?: Yes. Suitable in 1 gallon. Suitable for hanging baskets. Needs excellent drainage in pots
Attracts beneficial insects?: Yes. Bees, Butterflies, Hummingbirds.
Height: 84"+
Spacing: 15-18’
Sow Depth: 1/4”
Produces: a fast-growing vine with heart-shaped dark green leaves, and dramatic 6" blue blooms with bright white edging a purple star inside.
Uses: Flowering Tree, Will Naturalize.
USDA Grow Zone: 3a-9b
Soil pH: 6.1-7.8, Ideal 6.5-7.5. Many gardeners prefer growing Morning glory in nitrogen poor soil, as nitrogen rich soil encourages more vegetative growth with less blooms. Grow in well drained soil. In gardens with very sandy soils, add compost to help retain moisture.
Soil Preparation:
Compost (Nitrogen), 2" in top 6" of soil, 1 time: In gardens with very sandy soils, add compost to help retain moisture. Otherwise omit.
In cooler climates, the seed can be started indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost of spring; plant the nicked seeds 1/4" deep and keep the soil evenly moist but not soggy until germination, which should take place in 7-10 days with adequate warmth.
Transplant seedlings as soon as possible after germination, since they resent root disturbance; the soil temperature should be at least 65 degrees F with no chance of frost.
Water Needs: Moderate. For the best flavor, keep Morning glory well watered. This helps to neutralize the spiciness of the greens and flowers.
Fertilizer Needs: Light. Grow Morning glory in soil that is higher in Phosphorus and Potassium than Nitrogen. Growing Morning glory in nitrogen rich soil produces more vegetative growth and discourages blooming.
Support: Optional. If you want your Morning glory to grow up, you can encourage it up a trellis, fence, or some other kind of support.
Storage Req: Refrigerator
Storage Temp: 35-40°F
Storage Length: 1-2 days
Seed Viability in Years: 3-4 years
Germination Percentage: 70%
Suggested Varieties
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Hale's Best Jumbo Cantaloupe is a heirloom, very tender, warm weather annual vegetable that is native to Egypt, but was first introduced into the United States by I.D. Hale in the 1920's. At maturity, the vines of this plant can reach the length of 6-10' and features 3-5 lbs. oval melon with deep green skin with golden netting. This plant can be grown in a container, attracts bees and predatory wasps, is horse and rabbit safe, and is edible.
(Cucumis melo 'Hearts of Gold')
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(Cucumis melo 'Honeydew Green Flesh')
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(Cucumis melo 'Honey Rock')
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(Citrullus lanatus 'Black Diamond')
Black Diamond Watermelon is a heirloom, very tender, warm weather annual vegetable that is native to the United States, where it was developed and introduced by Melville Dillon in the 1940's. At maturity, the vines of this plant can reach the length of 15-20' and features round watermelons with a dark bluish green rind and crimson flesh that average 35-75 lbs. This plant attracts bees and predatory wasps, is rabbit safe, is used to make essential oils, cosmetics, and soaps, and is both edible and medicinal.
(Citrullus lanatus 'Crimson Sweet')
Crimson Sweet Watermelon is a heirloom, very tender, warm weather annual vegetable that is native to Kansas, where it was developed and introduced by Charles V. Hall of the Kansas State University in 1963. At maturity, the vines of this plant can reach the length of 10' and features round, light green, dark striped watermelons with crimson flesh that average 24 lbs. This plant attracts bees and predatory wasps, is rabbit safe, is used to make essential oils, cosmetics, and soaps, and is both edible and medicinal.
(Citrullus lanatus 'Moon and Stars')
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Moon and Stars Watermelon is a heirloom, very tender, warm weather annual vegetable that is native to New York, where it was developed and introduced by Henderson Seed Company in 1926. At maturity, the vines of this plant can reach the length of 12-14' and features elongated dark green rinds with bright yellow spots and sweet, red flesh that average 10-30 lbs. This plant attracts bees and predatory wasps, is rabbit safe, is used to make essential oils, cosmetics, and soaps, and is both edible and medicinal.
(Citrullus lanatus 'Sugar Baby')
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