If you’re looking to add some cheerful flowers to your garden or landscape, beach morning glories are a fantastic choice. With their vibrant colors and fast growth these classic vines are perfect for creating stunning displays and adding visual interest. But where can you find and purchase quality beach morning glory plants? In this article, we’ll discuss exactly where you can buy these beautiful bloomers.
A Bit About Beach Morning Glories
With their heart-shaped leaves and trumpet-shaped flowers in shades of pink, purple, blue and white, beach morning glories are absolutely lovely. These sturdy annual vines grow quickly and vigorously, easily covering fences, trellises, and arbors with abundant blooms and lush foliage. Native to the tropics, they thrive in warm weather and are a quintessential flower of summer.
Beach morning glories are also called beach moonflowers or ipomoea imperati. They are a variety of the common morning glory (ipomoea purpurea). Unlike regular morning glories which bloom in the morning, beach morning glories open their flowers in the evening, which is where the moonflower name comes from. The large, colorful blooms gracefully unfurl as the sun sets.
Where to Buy Beach Morning Glory Plants
When it comes to purchasing beach morning glory plants, you have several good options
Local Nurseries and Garden Centers
Check the garden centers and nurseries in your area to see if they carry beach morning glory plants. Many independent nurseries and even big box stores like Home Depot and Lowe’s will stock them in the spring and summer months. The benefit of buying locally is you can see the exact plants you’re purchasing and get advice from staff. Drawbacks are limited selection and availability.
Online Nurseries
Ordering beach morning glories online opens up many more choices. Reputable online nurseries like Territorial Seed Company, Park Seed, Eden Brothers, and Burpee provide a wide selection of high quality beach morning glory seeds and plants delivered right to your door. You can find unique varieties not available locally. Just be aware shipping can be expensive for live plants, so factor that in.
Some top online sources for beach morning glories include:
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Territorial Seed Company – Offers seeds and plants of several excellent beach morning glory varieties like ‘Heavenly Blue’, ‘Pearly Gates’, and ‘Scarlett O’Hara’.
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Park Seed – Carries a nice selection of seeds and plants, including climbing varieties and the stunning ‘Moonflower Mix’.
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Eden Brothers – Sells seeds for unique types like the giant white moonflower and the bright ‘Sunrise Serenade’ mix.
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Burpee – Provides seeds, plus some young plants ready for transplanting. Known for fast service and reliability.
Big Box Stores
For convenience, you can also find beach morning glory plants at large chains like Home Depot, Lowe’s and Walmart, at least during the warmer months. The selection is usually limited to a few common varieties sold as small starter plants. But if you just want an inexpensive, basic morning glory, this can work. Shop early in the season for the best choices.
Local Gardeners and Plant Swaps
Finally, connect with other gardeners in your community to find beach morning glory plants. Ask neighbors, friends, or social media groups about people who may be dividing plants or taking cuttings they’d be willing to share. Attend plant swaps and local garden club events to get free or cheap plants. This is a fun way to get locally adapted varieties.
What to Look for When Buying
When purchasing beach morning glory plants, inspect them closely and choose vigorous, healthy specimens with these qualities:
- Lush, green foliage with no spots, yellowing or damage
- Firm, upright stems
- No signs of pests, mold, or disease
- Good root development if buying young plants
- Reputable packaging and labeling if ordering online
For seeds, choose fresh packs from reputable sellers, and check the expiration date. Give preference to varieties suitable for your growing zone. Also be sure to read planting instructions. Morning glories can be a bit tricky to start from seed.
Caring for Your New Plants
Once you get your hands on some lovely beach morning glory plants, be sure to give them proper care so they flourish. Provide plenty of sun and well-drained soil. Water when dry, fertilize monthly, and support the vigorous vines with sturdy trellises and strings. Remove faded flowers to encourage more blooms. With a little TLC, your beach morning glories will quickly grow to produce an abundance of cheerful, elegant flowers all season long.
Where to Buy Gorgeous Morning Glories – A Summary
Beach morning glories are one of the prettiest and most rewarding flowers for warm climates. Their fast, vigorous growth blankets surfaces with rich green foliage and cheerful trumpets of color. You can find and buy high-quality beach morning glory plants from:
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Local nurseries and garden stores for convenient in-person selection
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Online retailers like Territorial Seed Company and Eden Brothers for wide selection, delivered to your door
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Big box home improvement stores for basic, inexpensive starter plants
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Fellow gardeners through plant divisions and swaps
Look for healthy, pest-free plants and seeds from reputable sources. Then provide your new morning glories with sun, space, and care so you can enjoy their stunning blooms all season long. The vivid flowers will quickly transform fences, arbors, and more into gorgeous focal points. With so many places to easily purchase these beauties, you’ll be enjoying their vibrant colors and ephemeral flowers before you know it!
Scientific Name: Ipomoea pes-caprae
Overview: You’ll find the salt tolerant Railroad Vine flourishing along beaches, where it works to stabilize the dunes. Considered a perennial, the flowering vine can grow up to several feet in length with small nodes located along its long stems. Its name comes from the Latin for “goat foot” – which the leaves resemble. The flowers have dark centers that fade into pale pink petals. They are at the height of their beauty in the morning, which is why some consider the vine a “morning glory.”
The Railroad Vine has a wide range of herbal remedy uses: in Australia, people use the plant in a poultice for sting ray stings; in Brazil it’s used for treating inflammation; and in the Philippines, it’s used for colic, whitlow, piles and rheumatism.
Recently Shipped Railroad Vine
| Zone |
10a, 10b, 11a, 8b, 9a, 9b |
|---|---|
| Sun Exposure |
Full Sun |
| Mature Height |
6 in |
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Growing Gorgeous Beach Morning Glory in Your Garden
FAQ
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