Is the morning glory a herbaceous plant? Let us walk you through its botanical characteristics

Other Names for the Morning Glory

The morning glory is also known as trumpet flower, qianniu, morning face flower, jinjiaolazi, large morning glory and Qin Niangzi. It is an annual twining herbaceous flowering plant in the genus Ipomoea of the family Convolvulaceae.

Growing Habits of the Morning Glory

The morning glory prefers a mild climate, abundant light and moderate ventilation. It is highly adaptable to soil, relatively tolerant of drought and saline-alkaline conditions, and unafraid of high temperatures and summer heat. It is a deep-rooted plant, so when grown in the ground the soil should be deep; it is best sown directly or transplanted as early as possible. Large seedlings do not tolerate transplanting.

The Flower Language of the Morning Glory

The flower language of the morning glory is everlasting love, symbolizing love, calmness and illusion.

The morning glory is the birthday flower for August 6. Its flower language is honor. You like to imitate the shrewdness and capability of adults, which makes you seem very amusing. You have great appeal to the opposite sex and like to pursue the mature love of adults, but how can you, with so little experience of the world, understand the world of adults? Better to be more natural, and your heart will feel more at ease.

Variety Classification of the Morning Glory

There are about 60 or more species of morning glory. The following three categories are commonly cultivated among large morning glories:

1. Ipomoea hederacea (ivy-leaved morning glory), with leaves deeply three-lobed, and medium-sized flowers borne 1 to 3 per leaf axil, in clear blue, rose red or white.

2. Ipomoea purpurea (common morning glory), with broad heart-shaped leaves and entire margins, small flowers in white, rose red, clear blue and other colors.

3. Ipomoea nil (large-flowered morning glory), with large leaves and long stalks, three-lobed with the central lobe larger, and leaves prone to growing irregular yellow-white blotches. Flowers are borne 1 to 3 per leaf axil, the common peduncle shorter than the leaf stalk, and the flowers are large, with a flower diameter of up to 10 cm or more. It is native to tropical Asia and Africa. This species is most extensively cultivated in Japan, where it is called morning face flower, and many horticultural cultivars have been bred, with diverse flower forms and rich, varied colors, popular widely in many places.

Application Value of the Morning Glory

1. Ornamental value: the morning glory is a common twining herbaceous flower of summer and autumn. It can be used to shade small courtyards and windows of living rooms, to beautify small trellises and fences, and can also be planted as ground cover. As the saying goes: "Admire chrysanthemums in autumn, tend plums in winter, plant crabapples in spring, and grow morning glories in summer." This shows that among the many flowers and plants of summer, the morning glory can be considered a favorite. The morning glory has a common name, "Qin Niangzi"; as the name suggests, it is a very diligent flower. As soon as the rooster crows for the first time, the tips of the morning glory vines winding around fences and trellises open trumpet-like flowers one after another. In the dawn light, people breathe the fresh air while feasting their eyes on the flowers dotted among the green leaves, truly a charm all its own.

2. Medicinal value: the seeds of Ipomoea purpurea can be used as medicine, known as qianniuzi, heichou, baichou, erchou and trumpet flower. It can purge water and move the bowels, resolve phlegm and clear fluids, and kill parasites and break up accumulations. It is used for edema and distension, inability to pass urine and stool, phlegm-fluid accumulation, qi counterflow with panting and coughing, parasitic accumulation with abdominal pain, and ascariasis and taeniasis.

The morning glory can be eaten and has effects such as purging, promoting urination, reducing swelling and expelling parasites. It is mainly used for limb edema, nephritic edema, ascites due to cirrhosis, constipation, parasitic accumulation with abdominal pain and other conditions.

Selected Morning Glory Pictures