Subject: Wild Morning Glories?

From: [email-masked] (KLMF)
Date: 4 Apr 1995 09:17:09 -0400

A zillion years ago when I was a little kid, my parents bought a house
with a mature perennial garden.   One of my favorite plants there was a
morning glory-like vine.....it came back every year and would bloom lovely
white flowers in the morning during the summer.  I would like to identify
this plant and find some to plant in my own garden.  Is this something
that can be purchased at a nursery or by catalog?  I've never seen it.  
Was it maybe a wild plant?  I know there are wild varieties, but the wild
varieties I have in my adjoining field do not flower nearly as much as
this other plant does.

--karen

Karen F.

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From: Don Martinson <[email-masked]>
Date: 4 Apr 1995 18:36:15 GMT

[email-masked] (KLMF) wrote:
> morning glory-like vine.....

I'm not sure how much luck you'll have on finding a "wild Morning
Glory" since most of them are looked upon as vicious weeds.  They
are prime contenders for the title of "The plant that wouldn't die!"
However, perhaps the plant you remember was different and someone
out there can help you find it.

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From: Don Martinson <[email-masked]>
Date: 4 Apr 1995 18:36:15 GMT

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From: J. A. Stiller <[email-masked]>
Date: 7 Apr 1995 17:15:49 GMT

In article <[email-masked]> Marylin Kraker,
[email-masked] writes:
>[email-masked] (KLMF) writes:
>
>[[snipped]]
>Might be bindweed, Convolvulus arvensis, a perennial that spreads by seeds
>and deep, rootlike rhizomes. It's considered a pretty bad, damaging weed (snip)

Marilyn's right, Karen, bindweed is a particularly obnoxious weed -- not
just because it strangles other plants but because it is virtually
impossible to eradicate.  The roots go enormous distances underground, a
new plant can grown from just a tiny bit of root.  Those lovely flowers
also produce seeds, of course...

I know how strong the lure of trying to rediscover something that charmed
one in childhood is, and I hope you will satisfy your wish to see it
again by growing a white cultivar of ordinary annual morning glory...  Or
ask around among gardeners where you live, and someone will probably be
able to direct you to a wild stand of the plant that you can look at but
not take home.   Trust me, you don't want this one in your garden!
Jenny in Haverford PA

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From: [email-masked] (Marylin Kraker)
Date: Thu, 06 Apr 95 07:27:31 EDT

[[snipped]]

Might be bindweed, Convolvulus arvensis, a perennial that spreads by seeds
and deep, rootlike rhizomes. It's considered a pretty bad, damaging weed
when it's strangling things, but I do agree that it's pretty. You'll find it 
in gardening books under weeds to control, usually.

Hope this helps.

Marylin

--
Marylin Kraker, user of the UniBoard System @ c4systm.com
E-Mail: [email-masked]
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From: [email-masked] [Maura O'Neill]
Date: Wed, 12 Apr 1995 05:53:02 GMT

are you by any chance talking about the moonflower vine? it is an ipomoea, but 
only blooms at night (and early in the morning) -the flowers are very large, 
usually white and very fragrant
ipomoea alba (or calonyction aculeatum)
sorry if this isn't the answer you want...
-maura

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From: [email-masked] (Adam Johnson)
Date: Sun, 16 Apr 1995 02:04:44 GMT

KLMF ([email-masked]) wrote:
: A zillion years ago when I was a little kid, my parents bought a house
: with a mature perennial garden.   One of my favorite plants there was a
: morning glory-like vine.....it came back every year and would bloom lovely
: white flowers in the morning during the summer.  I would like to identify
: this plant and find some to plant in my own garden.  Is this something
: that can be purchased at a nursery or by catalog?  I've never seen it.  
: Was it maybe a wild plant?  I know there are wild varieties, but the wild
: varieties I have in my adjoining field do not flower nearly as much as
: this other plant does.

: --karen

Here's a quick guide to distinguishing between wild and cultivated morning
glories. The wild varieties, usually called field bindweed(convulsa), are
true perennials, which can only really be controlled by some sort of mulch
film or fabric. It usually has deep-green, narrow, spear-head shaped
leaves not much more than 1" long closely spaced on thin vines, and shows
white flowers 1" wide or less. The cultivated varieties(ipomoeia) have
light-green, wide, heart-shaped leaves more than 1 1/2" wide on thicker
vines, and show white, pink, or blue flowers about 2" wide. They aren't true
perennials except in climates that never freeze, but they do reseed 
themselves very reliably from year to year. Moonflowers are a closely 
related species with even larger white flowers that open at night and 
close early in the morning. Moonflowers are also strongly scented, which 
distinguishes them from most other morning glories. Other interesting 
related vines are the cardinal climber or cypress vine, which produces 
small scarlet flowers, and thunbergia (black-eyed susan vine), which 
produces orange flowers with black centers on a morning glory-like vine. 
Also the common sweet potato, which is actually a tropical variety of 
morning glory, and produces an over-sized morning glory-like vine if planted.
Hope this helps you identify your plant!
                                            John DeMarce

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From: [email-masked] (Adam Johnson)
Date: Sun, 16 Apr 1995 02:04:44 GMT

: --karen