Moonflower Tall Night Flowering Seeds

Growing wild in South and Central America, as well as in southern Florida, tall night flowering moonflowers are sometimes treated as weeds in tropical climates. In our northern Canadian climate, moonflowers don’t self-seed well, so they are mostly cultivated as an ornamental flower. And what a flower it is! It might be one of the most beautiful flowers you can grow and with such a romantic name, who wouldn’t want to spend a warm summer evening with a full moon overhead and the fragrance of moonflowers carried by a light breeze?

Tall night flowering moonflower is one of the most spectacular fast-growing flowers. The vines can reach 10-20 feet or more at maturity, so make sure to provide plenty of support. This night-blooming variety bears enormous cone-shaped ivory-white flowers measuring 5-6 inches across. The flowers open when the sun comes down in the evening and will remain open all night until the next morning or later on a cloudy day. The flower will then fade and be replaced by another one until all the buds have flowered. With their irresistible nocturnal perfume and night habit, tall night flowering moonflower is an ideal addition planted near where you spend your summer evenings. Ready to climb up trees, arches and trellises, moonflowers can also be grown in containers in a living room or near a bedroom window so their showy flowers and sweet fragrance can be enjoyed at night.

- Latin Name: Ipomoea alba
- Life Cycle: Annual
- Days to Maturity: 110
- Planting Depth: 2-3 cm
- Plant Spacing: 30-45 cm
- Growth Habit: Vine

GROWING INSTRUCTIONS

The tender perennial flowering vine will add elegance and a sweet aroma to your moonlight stroll through the garden. In colder regions, this flower is grown as an annual and resembles morning glories, except for inversely blooming in the evening.   Heart-shaped, dark green leaves accent white conical flowers that bloom from mid-summer through the fall season. With ideal conditions, the vigorous vines of moonflowers can grow 3-6 m in a single season. 

Moonflower seeds can be started indoors four to six weeks before the last frost date. Scarify seeds by rubbing with coarse sandpaper and soak them in warm water overnight. Plant shallowly in individual peat or coco pots to ease the transplanting process later on. Place pots in a warm spot that receives bright, indirect light. Keep the soil evenly moist until seeds germinate.

When the weather warms, start moving seedlings outside for increasing periods of time every day. Harden off for a week or two and young moonflowers will be ready to transplant after the danger of frost has passed.

Select a spot in the garden that gets full sun. This will ensure the best growth and flowering. Soil should be rich, loamy and well-drained. As a tropical plant, moonflowers are accustomed to moist soil. Make sure young plants stay wet. Mature plants can tolerate drought conditions, but only for a short period of time. Full sun and regular watering will lead to robust growth. In cooler climates plant moonflowers outside when temperatures reach a stable 16-21 degrees.

Feed every few weeks with a fertilizer rich in phosphorus. Provide moonflowers with a lattice or trellis for the vines to grasp and climb on. They can also be planted in hanging baskets or allowed to spread as a ground cover. It’s especially pleasant to grow these flowers near a deck or window where you can breathe in their intoxicating evening perfume.

Deadhead spent flowers to promote more blossoms. This will also prevent moonflowers from reseeding naturally.

QUICK FACTS

- The white flowers attract night-flying moths that the moonflower needs for pollination.

- Moonflower seeds will remain viable for 5 years if stored in a cool, dark place, ideally between 4 and 10⁰C. After that, the germination rate may start to go down.