The illustrated growing guide
Moonflower
Ipomoea alba
Family Convolvulaceae
Grown as an annual
The evening magic vine — dinner-plate-sized white trumpets that unfurl at dusk (you can watch them open in real time), glow in the moonlight, and pour out a sweet perfume to draw hawk moths. Plant it by a patio you use at night, next to morning glory for a round-the-clock show. Nick and soak the seeds to get them going. Fast enough to cover an arbor in one summer.
Full Sun
Moderate water
Very Fast growth
Native to North America
Attracts bees
None winter chill
From the print shop
The closest print we make
We don’t print Ipomoea alba. The closest we have is Ipomoea purpurea (“Morning Glory”) in the Vines & Climbers collection — the same genus, Ipomoea, not the same species.
16 designsfrom $21.99white or black groundmatte poster, unframed
I
Overview
Will moonflower suit your garden, and what goes wrong.
Will it thrive where you are?
Enter your ZIP — we look up your USDA hardiness zone (2023 map) and check it against what moonflower actually needs.
Life cycleAnnualMoonflower at a glance
Common moonflower problems
- Almost none
- Almost none
II
Growing
Light, water, soil, propagation and the season’s jobs.
How to grow moonflower: light, water & soil
How to plant & propagate moonflower
III
The year
What moonflower asks for, month by month.
The moonflower year, month by month
BloomWhat each band means
- Bloom — flowers open — pollinators working, frost on blossoms is the danger.
The moonflower year as text
- Jan quiet month
- Feb quiet month
- Mar quiet month
- Apr quiet month
- May quiet month
- Jun bloom
- Jul bloom
- Aug bloom
- Sep bloom
- Oct bloom
- Nov bloom
- Dec quiet month
These are the species' typical months — expect them a few weeks earlier in warm zones and later in cold ones. Watch the plant, not just the calendar.
IV
Ecology & uses
What it does for the garden, and what it is grown for.
Moonflower in the garden system
- Vine layer vine
- Nectary/insectary
What moonflower is grown for
! Some parts toxic — see notesSeeds toxic — keep from kids/pets
Edibility, identification, and traditional-use notes here are general reference — not medical or veterinary advice, and not a claim that any plant treats or prevents anything. Medicinal ratings record how strongly a plant features in herbal tradition, nothing more. Never eat or dose a plant you have not positively identified. More on how to use this library.
V
Cultivars
Named varieties of moonflower, ruled as a catalogue.
Best moonflower varieties & cultivars
Species (the classic night-blooming moonflower)
VI
Sources & plant ID
Where the care distinctions come from, and how the plant is filed.
Research basis
Sources behind this profile
No extension citations are attached to moonfloweryet. The care figures below come from the library's own catalogue rather than a traced primary source.
Plant ID
VII
Where to buy
Third-party nurseries — not Story Thyme Farms.
Third-party nurseries, not Story Thyme Farms. Prices are theirs.
Story Thyme Farms may earn a small commission from these links, at no cost to you — it never changes what we recommend.
VIII
Questions
Moonflower questions, answered straight.
Is moonflower safe for kids and pets?
With care. Seeds toxic — keep from kids/pets Site it accordingly if children or pets roam the garden. This is general reference, not medical or veterinary advice — call a vet or poison control if something has actually been eaten.
How do you propagate moonflower?
From seed.
IX
Elsewhere
Where moonflower sits in the library.
Sweet Pea
Morning Glory
Clematis
Wisteria