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Ipomoea alba

 
Ipomoea alba
moon vine; moonflower
Ipomoea alba

Common name moon vine; moonflower
Family convolvulaceae
Life cycle annual
Flowers white
From seed nick and soak, germinate at room temperature or slightly warmer
detailed seed-starting info below

Started this from seed last year, hoping to finally show off some moonflowers in our garden - but the plants never took off, and eventually just faded away. I must have provided unfavorable conditions. This year I tried a different location - a prime spot along our patio fence. It appeared that history would repeat itself: after one feeble mid-summer bloom (only noticed after it had faded), the plant didn't do much of anything. But finally, in early September, during some late-summer hot weather, there's a grand bud! I went out several times the next few nights in hopes of catching the flower opening - finally, the third night, at 11pm, there it was, open in all its glory. Obligingly, it was still in fine shape in the early morning, but by noon it had slumped. I spotted more buds, though... It would be grand if the flowers would attract luna moths to our garden, but I'm not holding my breath. I'll settle for a seed or two, so we can enjoy them again in next year's garden.

This plant used to grow in our garden, but it slipped away...

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Seed-starting details for this plant

  1. Seed from '05 trade. Nicked, soaked overnight. Baggy 75F (50%G, 4-15d)
  2. Seed from '06 trade. Nicked, soaked 2d. Baggy 75F (100%G, 3d)
  3. Seed from '07 trade. Nicked, soaked 1d. Baggy 75F (84%G, 1-5d)
  4. Seed from '07 trade. Nicked, baggy 75F (100%G, 4-8d)
  5. Seed from '07 trade. Nicked, baggy 75F (100%G, 4-10d)

Germinated seeds prone to rotting - check often. Seed maintains viability for years.


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