Gorgeous, graceful, and fragrant, moonflowers provide an atmosphere of romance and mystery wherever you grow them. They are a tender perennial vine but are often grown annually, depending on the region. Learn how to plant, grow, and care for moonflowers.
If you search online for moonflowers, one of the first things you’ll notice is little agreement on what a moonflower is. Both plants of the Datura genus and members of the Ipomoea genus go by the common name of moonflower, as well as tropical white morning glory and moon vine.
In this guide, we are talking about Ipomoea alba, also known as Ipomoea noctiflora. The Plants of the World Online database, maintained by the Royal Botanical Gardens, recognizes the two species as synonymous. With that cleared up, we’ll just call them moonflowers. They’re a tender perennial vine hardy only in USDA zones 10 to 12, but they can be grown as annuals in other regions.
Moonflowers are prized for their habit of opening only in the evening—hence the name—and for their intoxicating fragrance. The flowers will close again in the morning, spending the day wrapped up like the more familiar morning glories. Their almost luminescent, giant blooms make them perfect for establishing a peaceful evening sitting spot or creating a bit of romance in the garden. See How to Create a Moon Garden.
Moonflowers smell sweet to us and pollinators. Moths pollinate at night and are highly attracted to moonflowers, like other bees and insects. Their trumpet-bell-shaped flowers are sometimes visited by hummingbirds as well. See more flowers that attract hummingbirds.
Growing
Once they germinate and get growing, moonflowers are pretty carefree. They’ll seem to grow slowly at first and then take off. Keep them neat and stunning by giving them something to climb, or they may sprawl around and cause a fuss.
- Moonflowers prefer consistently moist soil, but don’t overdo it. If in doubt, stick your finger in the soil. If it feels dry past the first knuckle, give them a drink.
- Mulch moonflowers (huzzah for mulch!) to maintain soil moisture and minimize dry periods.
- Deadheading moonflowers will encourage more blooms, but they’ll keep flowering if you miss a few. Remove them before they develop seeds if you live in warmer climates where these vines are perennial, as they can spread.
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Hi Alex,
While the arrival of flowers can be a tad late, especially for some varieties of morning glories, it is not cause for alarm. Both are known to bloom from summer to fall, some of varieties of moonflowers and morning glories won't begin blooming until late summer and last well into the fall. It sounds like the foliage is doing well and the blooms just might be slightly delayed. If you were on top of keeping your plants watered, the heat wave likely didn't affect your plant's ability to produce blooms.
One thing to consider is that morning glories do well in poor soil, so if you have fertilized the area they were planted in you might be seeing the results of too many available nutrients, which means more foliage at the expense of flowers.
Hope this helps!
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