Sun or Shade for Morning Glories?
Morning glories (Ipomoea purpurea) are technically perennials in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 9 to 11, although they are cultivated as annuals over a much broader area. This herbaceous vine is prized for its growth habit and blue, white, purple or pink flowers that are attractive to hummingbirds. Providing the morning glory with an excellent growing environment with the correct amount of sunlight will encourage rapid growth and help ensure that your specimen is covered with blooms. Morning glories are vigorous growers, sometimes climbing over 15 feet in a single growing season, and will self-seed readily, potentially growing out of control and becoming weedy or unwanted.
Light and Other Care Requirements
Morning glories perform best in a site that receives full sunlight. Flowering and growth will be reduced in shady sites. Spacing multiple plants 24 to 36 inches apart and pruning them regularly to keep them controlled will prevent overcrowding and plant shading. Flowers remain open all day in overcast weather, but shrivel midday when conditions are sunny and hot. This vine prefers well-drained soil and can tolerate drought and salt spray. Fertilizer applications negatively affect flowering, so apply fertilizer sparingly, if at all, around the morning glories.
Ipomoea purpurea is the common morning glory. There are many other species in this genus and some species in other genera sometimes also called "morning glories." Most other common species in the genus Ipomoea also prefer a site with ample sunlight.
Angela Ryczkowski is a professional writer who has served as a greenhouse manager and certified wildland firefighter. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in urban and regional studies.