A Detailed Guide to Growing and Propagating the Moonflower
[Alternative names] Tianqie'er, Chang'e Flying to the Moon. [Family and genus] Convolvulaceae, genus Calonyction. [Morphology] Herbaceous, twining large liana, stem up to 5-6 m long, with milky sap. Leaves alternate, ovate-cordate, or hastate, sometimes three-lobed, with long petioles. Cymes axillary, with 1-7 flowers. Corolla salverform, white
[Alternative names] Tianqie'er, Chang'e Flying to the Moon.
[Family and genus] Convolvulaceae, genus Calonyction.
[Morphology] Herbaceous, twining large liana, stem up to 5-6 m long, with milky sap. Leaves alternate, ovate-cordate, or hastate, sometimes three-lobed, with long petioles. Cymes axillary, with 1-7 flowers. Corolla salverform, white, sometimes with pale green folds; fragrant. Opens around 8 p.m., closes the next morning, sometimes not closing until before noon. Flowering period July-October. Capsule ovate, seeds large, smooth.
[Varieties, forms and cultivars] Large-flowered variety (var. grandiflorum); heterophyllous variety (var. heterophyllum): leaves 3-5 lobed; variegated-leaved variety (var. variegata).
[Origin and distribution]
Native to tropical America.
[Habits] Not cold-hardy, not particular about soil, large seedlings resent transplanting.
[Propagation] Sow in April in an open-air seedbed, or sow in small pots.
[Cultivation] Seedlings sown in the ground should be planted out after true leaves appear. Seedlings sown in pots can be grown into larger plants and planted directly beside a flower trellis or shade arbor. Growth is vigorous with many branches, so support should be set up early. Management is simple. Spacing 40-60 × 60-80 cm.
[Seed collection] Capsules ripen unevenly, so they should be harvested separately before they split.
[Uses] The whole plant or seeds can be used medicinally; the whole plant treats snakebite, the seeds treat bruises, swelling and pain, and fractures. It is a highly attractive trellis plant in a night garden. It can also be used as a temporary cut flower for nighttime decoration.
Key Points for Propagating the Moonflower
The moonflower likes a sunny and warm environment. Since it is not cold-hardy and will die when exposed to frost, it is not suitable for open-ground cultivation in colder environments. Growing the moonflower artificially is not difficult, and it is generally propagated by sowing seeds.
Moonflower
The moonflower is native to tropical America and likes warmth. It prefers a humid climate and is not tolerant of severe cold; it is not demanding about soil and can adapt to ordinary soil. It can be propagated by seeds.
Collect seeds in late autumn, dry and store them, and sow in March-April of the following year. For open-ground direct sowing, seedlings should be transplanted and planted out after true leaves appear, with a spacing of 40-60 cm × 60-80 cm at planting. In addition, the moonflower easily produces adventitious roots at its vine nodes, so it can also be propagated by cuttings and layering. Sow in a seedbed in early spring; when the seedlings have 3-5 true leaves, they can be planted out in front of a flower trellis or fence to climb and grow as they wish. They can also be direct-sown in the open ground in March-April, at a distance of 40-80 cm.
Moonflower Calonyction aculeatum (Linn.) House Moonflower illustrated guide: how to grow the moonflower / how to propagate the moonflower
Moonflower ProfileMoonflower Calonyction aculeatum (Linn.) House
How to Grow the Moonflower and Points to Note An Introduction to the Moonflower
The moonflower is an annual twining herb in the Convolvulaceae family, genus Calonyction, and can grow up to 10 m long. It has been introduced and cultivated in many parts of China and is fairly common. It likes full sunlight and warmth, is not cold-hardy, and dies when exposed to frost. It is not demanding about soil. The moonflower is native to tropical America.
Xiyan, also known as Chang'e Flying to the Moon (Yunnan), Tianqie'er, Tianqiezi and moonflower, is a plant in the Convolvulaceae family, genus Ipomoea. It is native to the tropical and temperate regions of the New World, including all of South America, Central America, Mexico and the US state of Florida, and is distributed throughout the tropics, tropical America, and in China's Guangxi, Shaanxi, Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Yunnan, Guangdong, Sichuan, Jiangsu and other places, where it mostly grows in the wild; it is now widely cultivated artificially. The moonflower's white flowers resemble a full moon, large and beautiful, and because they bloom at night, it got its name.
Morphological Characteristics of the Moonflower
The moonflower is an annual, large twining herb, up to 10 m long, with milky sap, green stems, cylindrical, nearly smooth or more or less with soft prickles. Leaves ovate, 10-20 cm long, apex long-acuminate or acuminate, base cordate, entire or slightly angular or lobed.
Flowers large, opening at night, fragrant, 1 to many arranged in a raceme, sometimes the rachis zigzag; sepals ovate, green, with long awns, the 3 outer sepals 5-12 mm long (excluding the awn), the awn longer, the inner sepals 7-15 mm long (excluding the awn), the awn shorter or absent; corolla large, snow-white, extremely beautiful, with pale green bands in the folds, tube 7-12 cm long, about 5 mm wide, the upper part of the tube not expanded or slightly expanded, limb shallowly 5-rounded-lobed, spreading, 7-12 cm in diameter; style and stamens exserted beyond the corolla; stamens 5, filaments cylindrical, inserted on the tube, anthers large, sagittate at the base, pale yellow; disc annular, thick, fleshy; ovary long-conical; style cylindrical, white; stigma large, 2-globose.
Moonflower capsule ovate, about 3 cm long, with a sharp tip, surrounded at the base by the enlarged sepals, the fruit stalk thick.
Moonflower seeds large, hairless, about 1 cm long, 7-8 mm wide, yellowish-white, brown or black. Flowering period August-October, fruiting period September-November.
Ecological Habits of the Moonflower
The moonflower likes full sunlight and warmth, is not cold-hardy, and dies when exposed to frost. It is not demanding about soil and grows well under sunny and humid conditions. Large seedlings do not tolerate transplanting.
The moonflower has been introduced and cultivated in many parts of China and is fairly common.
Cultivation Techniques and Management Methods for the Moonflower
Seedbed Management
Water appropriately, but do not let it become waterlogged; prevent rodent and insect damage: phoxim or trichlorfon mixed with wheat bran (poison bait) can both be used; weed promptly and spray foliar fertilizer; when true leaves reach 3-4, begin pinching the growing tip to prevent excessive vegetative growth; the suitable seedbed temperature is 25-28°C, not lower than 15°C at night.
Generally the seedling age is 35-40 days, and seedlings are hardened off 5-7 days before planting;
Timely Transplanting
(1) Dig large holes. Before transplanting, dig holes 20 cm × 20 cm, with a plant spacing of 1.3-1.6 m, keeping about 80-100 plants per mu, and apply 5-7.5 kg of farmyard manure and 100-250 g of chemical fertilizer (diammonium phosphate, potassium fertilizer and magnesium powder in a 3:1:1 ratio) per hole as base fertilizer.
(2) Manual transplanting. Before transplanting, water the nutrient bags thoroughly, transplant the seedlings into the holes, cover with soil, and water thoroughly. At the same time, cover with plastic film and cut holes to let the seedlings out. Double-film transplanting can also be chosen, that is, adding an arched film cover after transplanting;
Field Management
(1) Manual weeding and timely prevention and control of pests and diseases.
(2) In combination with topdressing, level the empty ridges and spread straw. Use about 1 kg of rice straw or wheat straw per square meter to prevent weed overgrowth. When the main vine grows to about 50 cm, it is best to combine this with irrigation and apply 100-250 g of urea per plant as topdressing; the topdressing should not be too close to the main root to prevent root burn. Do not scatter urea on the leaves to prevent leaf burn.
(3) Training the vines, pinching the tips, removing side shoots, and hand pollination. Training the vines: keep two main vines per plant. Lay both main vines horizontally on the empty ridges, and a directional earthing-up can be done once. Pinching the tips: for the first-order branches, when they grow to 3 leaves, begin pinching the tips; watch for and pinch off the second- and third-order branches; pinch the tips of the main vines after August 23. Hand pollination: generally for sweet gourds, side shoots are removed and tips pinched every morning, and pollination begins at 16:00 in the afternoon; pollination can stop after End of Heat, and generally the two main vines set 6-8 fruits;
Harvesting
Harvesting gradually begins in early August, that is, when the first batch of gourds grows to about 7-9 kg. In principle, harvest on the first day, and on the second day first peel off the gourd skin, then cut the gourd into strips; from August to September, basically in September when the gourd has grown to an almost white color, the hairs on the surface are gone, but it is still rather heavy, it can be picked; otherwise, if the vine has withered and yellowed, the gourd may fall and break. After picking, it still needs to be air-dried, and in this way a bumper harvest of fruits can be obtained.
How to Grow the Moonflower Planting Methods
1. Choosing the Previous Crop and Preparing the Land
Choose flat land and low-lying land with good drainage and fertile soil, as well as hilly land with irrigation conditions. Avoid continuous cropping or back-to-back cropping with watermelons and other cucurbits. Land preparation: form ridges when the soil is thawing, and press promptly to preserve soil moisture. The transplanting ridges are long-mouthed ridges. The ridge width is 9-13 cm, and the 7-8 empty ridges in between should also be ridged to help control weeds;
2. Seed Soaking and Germination
Choose the Japanese green-skinned gourd cultivar, soak the seeds in 40°C warm water for 12-24 hours, remove them, wrap them in gauze, spin dry, and crack open the soaked sweet gourd seeds. Use a wooden trough or an ordinary basin, line it with a layer of sterilized sawdust or sand, then line it with a layer of gauze, place the soaked seeds evenly on the gauze, cover with a wrung-out new towel, cover with a steaming rack, and cover with a cotton quilt to promote germination, sprinkling water twice a day with a new broom whisk. The germination temperature is generally 25-28°C. Remove the germinated seeds every day and place them in another basin in a cool indoor place to control sprout growth;
3. Sowing in the Seedbed
① Seedbed preparation
Line the bottom of the seedbed with 8-10 cm of horse manure or chopped straw, spread a layer of soil on top, and tread it flat. At the same time, disinfect with 70% dexon wettable powder at 0.3-0.6 g/㎡, and put up a shed. After sowing the seeds, put up a small shed over the seedbed.
② Nutrient soil preparation
Choose soil that has not used herbicides such as pursuit and chlorimuron-ethyl, sieve it well, and mix it with sieved decomposed farmyard manure in a 7:2 ratio.
③ Bagging and sowing
Put the nutrient soil into 10 cm × 15 cm plastic bags, and place 20-30 grains of diammonium phosphate at the bottom one-third of each plastic bag as base fertilizer, fill it full and firm it, and cut open the bottom corners of the nutrient bag or poke 2-4 holes with a diameter of 8-10 mm at the bottom to allow water to pass through. The sowing time depends on the local season. Use a wooden stick to poke a 3-4 cm deep hole in the middle of the nutrient bag, place the germinated seed with the sprout eye facing down, cover with soil, and water once;
Propagation Methods of the Moonflower
The moonflower is native to tropical America and likes warmth. It prefers a humid climate and is not tolerant of severe cold; it is not demanding about soil and can adapt to ordinary soil. It can be propagated by seeds.
Collect seeds in late autumn, dry and store them, and sow in March-April of the following year. For open-ground direct sowing, seedlings should be transplanted and planted out after true leaves appear, with a spacing of 40-60 cm × 60-80 cm at planting. In addition, the moonflower easily produces adventitious roots at its vine nodes, so it can also be propagated by cuttings and layering. Sow in a seedbed in early spring; when the seedlings have 3-5 true leaves, they can be planted out in front of a flower trellis or fence to climb and grow as they wish. They can also be direct-sown in the open ground in March-April, at a distance of 40-80 cm.
Management During Propagation
The moonflower likes a slightly moist but on the dry side soil environment. Summer high temperatures are its vigorous growth stage, and at this time the water supply should be ensured. It has a relatively high demand for fertilizer. In addition to applying base fertilizer at planting, during the vigorous growth stage a dilute liquid fertilizer can be applied every 2-3 weeks.
The moonflower likes a full-sun environment, and daily sunlight exposure should not be less than 4 hours. It likes warmth and is not cold-hardy, growing better within a temperature range of 18-28°C. Supports should be set up in time to ensure that the seedlings have something to cling to after they grow larger and can climb onto the trellis smoothly. In actual cultivation, the moonflower can be harmed by powdery mildew and attacked by pests such as aphids; if this occurs, measures should be taken promptly to deal with it.
Disease Control of the Moonflower
The moonflower has very good disease resistance. Its pests include aphids and whiteflies, which can be washed off directly with water, or a diluted insecticide can be applied.
The moonflower can overwinter successfully in a frost-free environment above 5.
Distribution Range of the Moonflower
The moonflower is native to the tropical and temperate regions of the New World, including all of South America, Central America, Mexico and the US state of Florida, and is distributed throughout the tropics, tropical America, and in China's Guangxi, Shaanxi, Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Yunnan, Guangdong, Sichuan, Jiangsu and other places, where it mostly grows in the wild; it is now widely cultivated artificially.
Domestic distribution
Shaanxi, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Guangdong, Guangxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, usually cultivated, also wild.
Overseas distribution
The place of origin may be tropical America, and it is now widely distributed throughout the tropics.
The Role and Uses of the Moonflower Roles and Uses
In the ancient civilizations of Central America, people used the moonflower to turn the latex of the elastic castilla tree and guayule into elastic rubber balls, because the sulfur element contained in the plant's latex can vulcanize rubber.
Medicinal Value
The whole moonflower plant can be used as Chinese medicine. Its nature and flavor are bitter, pungent and cool, and it can neutralize snake venom; the seeds can treat bruises, swelling and pain, and fractures.
The leaves contain the plant hormone calonyctin A, a glycoside composed of 11-hydroxyhexadecyl and ipomeaic acid methyl ester with 4 rhamnoses, which can promote plant growth and development, regulate plant metabolism and increase yield.
Dietary or Medicinal Value of the Moonflower
The medical information and health dietary information on Hugarden.com is for reference only and cannot be used as a basis for diagnosis or medical treatment. For any health problem, consult professional medical personnel, and for the treatment of any disease, follow doctor's orders.
Ultimate flower-protecting task: love yourself, start from reality, and strictly follow doctor's orders. For illness, do not be careless, do not delay, do not give up hope, face it bravely, use love to warm the silent world, and use your heart to care for the flower field within.
Functions and Indications
Whole plant: treats snakebite. Seeds: treat bruises, swelling and pain, and fractures.
Harvesting and Processing
Stems and leaves are mostly used fresh; seeds are harvested when ripe, sun-dried and set aside for use.
Utilization
The moonflower can also be used as a material for vertical greening. In a night garden, its large white flowers and fragrant scent can embellish the night scene, add color to evening parties, and it can also be used as a temporary cut flower at night. The whole moonflower plant or its seeds can both be used as medicine. The whole plant treats snakebite; the seeds treat bruises, swelling and pain, and fractures.
Source
Moonflower of the Convolvulaceae family, with the whole plant or seeds used as medicine.
Chemical Composition
The leaves contain the plant hormone calonyctin A. Calonyctin A is a glycoside homolog pair composed of 4 rhamnoses and 2 aglycones, with relative molecular masses differing by 28 mass units.
Garden Uses of the Moonflower Fence and Wall Greening
This mainly refers to greening low walls, trellises, railings, wire mesh and similar places, using climbing plants to turn hard, monotonous civil structures such as trellises, low walls, guardrails and wire mesh into lush green enclosures, which beautifies the environment, blocks sound and dust, and can also form an enclosed space that feels intimate and quiet. Fence and wall greening generally does not have strict requirements for the climbing ability of vines, but different suitable materials should be chosen for different types of fences and walls.
For greening bamboo fences, wire mesh and small railings, herbaceous species with soft stems and small leaves are suitable, such as morning glory, moonflower, sweet pea, balloon vine and Japanese bindweed; in shady places, Aconitum hemsleyanum, Aconitum alboviolaceum, bladderwort and Streptolirion volubile can also be chosen; for ordinary low walls and steel frames, Rosa multiflora, climbing roses, Caesalpinia decapetala, honeysuckle, Jasminum floridum, Pyrostegia venusta and Campsis grandiflora can be chosen.
Cultural Background of the Moonflower Origin of the Name
The moonflower's white flowers resemble a full moon, large and beautiful, and because they bloom at night, it got its name.
Stories and Allusions
In The Tale of Genji, Xiyan is the gourd flower. I always see online that "in The Tale of Genji, it refers to a kind of white small flower of the radish flower type", but I do not know where this statement comes from. In Empresses in the Palace there is a scene in which Consort Hua gives that bolt of cloth to Zhen Huan because of the xiyan flower woven in the Shu brocade, precisely because she thinks the flower's meaning is inauspicious.
Misunderstanding
The morning glory opens in the morning, so how could it be called "xiyan"! The gourd flower opens in the evening and withers by late night, so it is called "xiyan".
In addition, in the fourth chapter "Xiyan" of The Tale of Genji there is also an annotation about the morning glory: asagao is the morning glory.
"Xiyan" and "asagao" are both women in The Tale of Genji, the world's first full-length realistic novel. Xiyan captured the hearts of the two great noble young men of the time, while asagao rejected Genji, the male protagonist of the first half, and never married in her life. Asagao and Xiyan are exact opposites, both as women and as plants.
The Flower Language of the Moonflower
The flower language of the moonflower: eternal love, and a fragile, fleeting beauty.
A face in the twilight that never fades, a warmth in life that is never lost.
Moonflower Pictures