Morning glory (Ipomoea tricolor) — Plotwright

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Morning glory

Habit (mature) · Invalidsyntax / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0

Limited coverage

Morning glory

Ipomoea tricolor

A fast, twining annual vine from tropical America grown for the azure-blue trumpets that open at dawn and fade by afternoon, each marked with a white-to-golden-yellow star throat. Heart-shaped leaves clothe stems that climb 8-10 feet in a single season on any support. Showy and easy from seed, but every part — especially the seed — is poisonous if eaten, so site it away from where pets and children graze.

Review: Source-backed

Climate fit: moderate (69/100)

Focal point

Structure

Container

Light

Full sun

Water

Moderate water

Mature size

96-120" tall · 12" apart

Lifecycle

True annual (one season)

Summer heat range

Mild-Extreme

mild to extreme summers Interim Plotwright tier until the plant AHS range is authored.

Native in Illinois

No

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Cold hardiness

Now

Zone 6b

USDA

Chicago, IL · 1991-2020 average annual coldest day

Source: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (1991-2020 climatology) via ArcGIS FeatureServer

Well-suited

2050

Zone 7b

Plotwright

Your zone + climate-model shift · SSP3-7.0 (regional rivalry)

Well-suited

In plain terms: cold winters — coldest nights typically around -3°F.

✓

Well-suited today and still thriving in 2050.

Heat tolerance

°C

°F

Loading current AHS heat-zone and plant heat-fit data at your coordinates…

Where this plant fits

Suitable across 45 ecoregions — 45 climate-resilient through 2070. Best matches first.

Appalachian mixed mesophytic forests

Appalachian-Blue Ridge forests

Arizona Mountains forests

Atlantic coastal pine barrens

Blue Mountains forests

California coastal sage and chaparral

Canadian Aspen forests and parklands

Central Pacific Northwest coastal forests

Central Tallgrass prairie

Central-Southern Cascades Forests

Sources & citations

Cite this page

For lesson plans, articles, or research that uses this page. To cite a single upstream fact instead, use its specific source listed below.

Plotwright. (2026, May 17). Morning glory (Ipomoea tricolor). Retrieved 2026, June 5, from https://plotwright.garden/plants/morning-glory

Sources for every fact

Every fact on this page traces to a source. 18 fields cited — 18 source-backed.

NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox

University extension service

Backs 17 fields

Identity

Summary

Plant type

Light

Moisture

Hardiness

Heat zone

Size

Spacing

Habit

Design roles

Seasonal interest

Growth stages

Lifecycle

Regional guidance

Success tips

Designer notes

Wikimedia Commons

Photo · CC BY-SA 3.0

Backs 1 field

Image

Wikipedia: Ipomoea tricolor

Botanical research database

Community photos

The photos above are our reviewed reference set, curated for accuracy.

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