The Mysterious Moonflower

Ipomoea alba

Ipomoea alba, otherwise known as Moonflowers are so called because they bloom in the evening. They have large 4 to 6 inch fragrant, white or pink flowers on twining vines. The flowers open quickly in the evening and last through the night, remaining open until touched by the morning Sun. Moonflowers grow to a height of about 15 feet. The leaves are rather large which allows the plant to be used as an annual in a northern garden. Propagation is usually by seed. The seed should be nicked with a file and then soaked overnight before planting. Moonflowers should be planted when the Moon is new or increasing in light! Click here to see a movie of a moonflower opening in real time; It opens in one minute, with the main section deploying in less than 30 seconds! NOTE: like a great deal of material on this site, this video is fully copyrighted. Also, please do not link directly to this file; please use the web page URL instead. Thanks goes to Michael E. Abrams, curator of the Florida's Wildflower Page (an award winning site) for permission to use this picture of the mysterious Moonflower. The Florida Wildflower Page can be reached here. Thanks also to L.G. Robertson at Pocket Mouse Productions for shooting this rather difficult sequence! Currently Playing: Flor d'Luna (Moonflower)- by Santana Experience the wonder of the Moonflower by growing your own. "The Moonflower Book: [A Children's View]" by Jean and Peter Loewer "Planning and Planting a Moon Garden" by Marcella Shaffer Moon Pages (Navigation Bar) The Moon in Ancient History The Moon in Modern History The Physical Moon & its History The Moon in Religion Moon Legends and Tales The Moon in the Arts Back to the Whole Moon Home Page © 1996-2016 Cheryl Robertson at Moonlight Systems All Rights Reserved Click here for Copyright information