Moonflower
Ipomoea alba
Family Convolvulaceae
At dusk, moonflower performs: buds the size of your fist spiral open in real time — you can stand there and watch — into dinner-plate white trumpets that glow under the moon and pour perfume into the night air. It is the single best reason to sit outside after dark.
Night-flying hawk moths arrive like clockwork to work the blooms. A fast native annual, it climbs 10 to 15 feet — enough to clothe an arbor in a single summer — and pairs with morning glory for round-the-clock flowers. Keep the seeds from kids and pets, and plant it where you linger at night.
Full Sun
Moderate water
Very Fast growth
Native to North America
Attracts bees
None winter chill
From the print shop
Growing moonflower? Hang it.
Our Plant Library collection carries moonflower — Ipomoea alba, print Nº 311, “Moonflower.”
526 designsfrom $12.99white or black backgroundmatte poster, unframed
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 · Common problems
Common moonflower problems
Pests
1 problem on file
- Almost none
Diseases
1 problem on file
- Almost none
Moonflower · Growing & propagation
Growing moonflower
- Light
- Full Sun
- Water
- Moderate
Soil- Average
Rich soil = leaves over flowers · pH 6.0 - 7.5
Fertilizer- None
Pruning- None (annual)
Nick and soak the hard seeds overnight to germinate; give it string and full sun. Blooms open in the evening and close by morning.
Spacing- 6-12 in at a trellis
How to plant & propagate moonflower
- Propagate
- From seed
Moonflower · Calculators & field guides
A little help in the garden.
Moonflower · Yearly calendar
The moonflower year, month by month
Jan
No calendar activity is listed for this month.
BloomBloomJune to November
What each band means
- Bloom — flowers open — pollinators working, frost on blossoms is the danger.
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.
Moonflower · Ecology & uses
Ecology & uses
Ipomoea alba
Moonflower in the garden system
- Vine layer vine
- Nectary/insectary
Attracts- Bees
- Moisture
- Facultative / average
Deer- Browsed
Protect young plants
- Origin
- Native to North America
What moonflower is grown for
! Some parts toxic — see notesSeeds toxic — keep from kids/pets
Use- Evening garden
- Use
- Fragrance
- Use
- Fast arbor cover
- Use
- Moths
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.
Moonflower · Varieties & cultivars
Choosing a moonflower variety
Species (the classic night-blooming moonflower)
Sources & plant identity
Know what you’re growing.
See where the knowledge comes from.
Moonflower
Ipomoea alba
The plant, at a glance.
- Botanical name
- Ipomoea alba
- Plant family
- Convolvulaceae
- Growth habit
- Vine · Annual
- Origin
- Native to North America
- USDA plant symbol
- IPAL
- Invasive risk
- Low
Hardiness, size and timing vary with your cultivar, soil and climate.
Rooted in research.
University extension research, brought together with hands-on growing experience at Story Thyme Farms.
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.
Elsewhere
Where moonflower sits in the library.
Sweet Pea
Morning Glory
Clematis
Wisteria