Ipomoea nil aka Morning Glory

Ipomoea nil has the common name Japanese morning glory. It belongs to Convolvulaceae, the bindweed family. It comes from tropical and subtropical parts of America. Its native range starts in Mexico and the Caribbean. It reaches Uruguay and northern Argentina. It has spread to many tropical areas outside this range. Kew places it in a tropical biome with dry seasons. In China, it grows in thickets, fields, hedges, and roadsides.

This fast-growing vine can reach about 16.4 feet [5 metres]. Its soft stems coil around nearby plants for support. They can also trail across the ground. Kew and Plants for a Future call it an annual. Useful Tropical Plants says it can also be a perennial. In temperate climates, gardeners grow it as a frost-tender annual. The supplied accounts give no width for a full-grown plant. It flowers from July to September. Each flower has both male and female organs. The plant forms capsules that hold its seeds.

Give this plant a sunny site with rich, well-drained loam. It needs moist soil and cannot grow in shade. Plants for a Future lists sand, loam, and clay soils. It accepts slightly acid soil and soil with a neutral pH. Slightly alkaline soil also suits it. All these soils must drain well. The plant cannot stand frost. Plants for a Future gives USDA zones 8–11. Frost still limits its growth outdoors in cold weather. Gardeners use it in planted beds and sunny woodland edges.

You can raise new plants from seed. Plants for a Future suggests a twelve-hour soak before sowing. Warm water or scarification helps prepare seeds to sow. Scarification means making small cuts or scratches in the seed coat. Sow in separate pots under glass in early spring. Seeds can sprout within one to three weeks at 22°C. Young plants dislike having their roots disturbed. Move them into larger pots soon after they sprout. Plant outdoors once the last expected frost has passed. A short-term cover can protect them as they start growing.

Neither plant-use source lists any use as food. Both report no known hazards, but this does not prove safety. They report use of the seeds as medicine. Uses include laxatives and diuretics, which help the body pass urine. Other uses target worms in the gut and muscle spasms. Plants for a Future reports hallucinogenic substances in the seeds. These substances can cause people to see things that are not there. It also records using the crushed plant against head lice. These reports of use are not advice for home treatment.