The so-called morning glory (Ipomoea) is currently becoming more and more popular as a flowering climbing plant, as it can be used to quickly beautify unsightly garden corners. On a climbing frame or net, the morning glory is also suitable as a side screen for the balcony.

The seeds of the beautiful morning glory are slightly poisonous

Grow morning glory easily from seeds yourself

The morning glory, originally from Mexico, cannot be overwintered outdoors in this country. Attempts to hibernate are only worthwhile to a limited extent, since the short-lived morning glories grow very quickly after sowing if they are planted out in the right place or placed in a pot. You can get a head start on rapid growth in the garden if you prefer the morning glory on the windowsill or another bright spot in the house from March.

Harvesting morning glory seeds for propagation

In the meantime, a wide variety of types of morning glory are available in specialist shops, with funnel-shaped flowers in different colors providing colorful accents in the garden. If you cultivate different types of morning glory in your garden, it is quite possible that new color hybrids will occur when propagating them through seeds. You should wait until the seeds are fully ripe before harvesting the seeds, which is indicated by the brown color and a brittle consistency of the seed pods. Then do the following:

  • Carefully remove the capsules (keep a jar or plastic bag to keep the seeds from falling)
  • Crush the capsules and separate the seeds from the remains of the capsules
  • Keep seeds dry and dark until sowing

Caution: Morning glory seeds are poisonous

Be sure to wash your hands after harvesting the seeds, as morning glory and especially their seeds can be quite poisonous. Also make sure that the screw-top jar with the stored seeds is kept out of the reach of children and cannot be confused with edible supplies in the basement. The seeds of the morning glory are said to have been used by Mexican natives as an intoxicating substance due to their toxic effects. However, experts strongly advise against using morning glory seeds in this way, since serious symptoms of poisoning can quickly occur due to the heavily fluctuating amount of the substances contained.

tips

You can extend the flowering period of the morning glory in the garden if you sow seeds again between the specimens that have been brought forward and planted out in the spring, which then flower at a later time. This effect is particularly attractive when different color variants are mixed.

Category:

Indoor plants