I expect many of you will have walked or driven past a splash of blue color on an uncultivated bit of ground or growing on a fence. Probably without taking much notice of it. Gardeners among you may have wondered what it is. There is nothing that grows like it in the UK, apart from bindweed.

The plant in question is a perennial morning glory. It is called oceanblue morning-glory, blue morning-glory, and also blue dawn flower.
The latin name is Ipomaea indica. It is native to Hawaii and the New World tropics, but has been introduced into many countries.

Ipomoea belongs to the plant family Convolvulaceae, which has over 600 species ranging from annuals, herbs, climbers, shrubs and trees. It includes the familiar bindweed. The plants grow in tropical and warm temperate regions, predominantly in the Americas. Ipomoea indica is found throughout the tropics, scrambling over trees, shrubs and walls, and in fact anything it can climb up. In some countries it has become an invasive, problem weed because of its rampant growth. Here in Turkey it is kept in check somewhat by the dry summers.

The large trumpet-shaped flowers open in the morning sun and start off a beautiful irridescent, ocean blue colour. As the day passes the flowers take on pinkish hues and the colour changes to a shade of blue violet.

Each flower only lasts a day. By night the flowers have folded in on themselves, ready to be replaced by fresh blooms the next day.

You can grow it on a fence or wall here, if you like, and admire the attractive sky blue flowers produced all summer long. But the long trailing shoots need frequent cutting back to prevent it spreading and rooting where it is not wanted. Do not plant it if close to other plants, or if you cannot give it much room. Give it a good watering once every one or two weeks and it will be happy. Water it too often and too much and it will grow even faster and at the expense of the flowers. In winter it dies back somewhat and needs tidying up, cutting back the growth to the main stems.

Ipomaea indica rarely produces seeds. It spreads vegetatively when the long running shoots root down into the ground and produce new plants the following year. The top growth is killed by a sharp frost, but because of the vigour of the plant, it will soon grow back the next year.

Post from: Fethiye Bay - Local English Newspaper

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