Morning Glories are vigorous vines that grow as annuals or perennials in Davis, depending on the species. The flowers are spectacular. The plants tend to be invasive.
Mexican Morning Glory (Ipomoea tricolor) is the annual form that grows vigorously to ten feet or more and reseeds all over the garden. ‘Heavenly Blue’ is a popular seed strain of this species. Seeds are toxic and, contrary to popular belief, not pleasantly hallucinogenic. There are a couple of other species that have different colored flowers.
Blue Sky Dawn Flower (Ipomoea indica, usually sold as I. acuminata), is a perennial vine to twenty feet or more in a single season. It rarely seeds, but sends out ground-level runners that root and rapidly invade shrubs, fences, and borders to become quite a garden thug. The top freezes to the ground or to the main stems in our climate, but resprouts quickly in spring. In coastal areas and Southern California it can be locally very invasive.
Related plants in the same genus include Moonflower (I. alba), Sweet Potato Vine (I. batatas), and Cypress Vine (I. quamoclit). In another genus are the two California native species below, as well as 12 other California native species found in farther-flung parts of the state.
Modoc Morning Glory (Calystegia occidentalis) is a winter-deciduous perennial vine that is native along the Sacramento River east of Woodland. It dies to the ground in winter but grows back at high speed when warm temperatures return. It prefers full sun.
Smooth Western Morning Glory (Calystegia purpurata) is an evergreen perennial vine that is native in western Woodland. It can cover a lengthy fence in a couple of years and may cover all the rest of your fences and much of the space in between them a few more years after that. It's a beautiful vine, but you should be prepared to prune and train it regularly if you don't want it to cover your entire yard. It prefers full sun.
Related plants in other genera of the same family include Bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis). Ponysfoots (Dichondra spp.), and Dodders (Cuscuta spp.). Dodders are parasitic plants that include native species and the introduced invasive species Japanese dodder).
