Ampel morning glory - deciduous ornamental plant
Content:
Ipomoea ampelous is known not only for its flowers, but also for the unusual color of the leaves. Their deep purple shades can beautify any landscape composition.
Description of the plant
The flower belongs to the bindweed family. It is a herbaceous vine, which in nature can grow up to 2 meters in length. In Russia, due to the peculiarities of the climate, Ipomoea ivy is an annual. The abundant flowering immediately attracts attention, some varieties smell good.
Morning glory can be grown in flowerpots and pots
In total, there are about 500 plant species in the world, in Russian conditions only 25 varieties are grown. Many of them are bred solely for their decorative foliage. Ipomoea is used for landscaping balconies, terraces, verandas, gazebos. It looks beautiful next to other plants.
Varieties with purple leaves
Ipomoea ampelous with purple leaves is represented by different varieties. Colors from pale to rich dark allow you to create unusual bright compositions:
- The sweet potato variety has an edible tuber with yellow flesh. It does not bloom very abundantly, it is more valuable due to the color of the leaves. Can be grown as a perennial. To do this, the plant is dug up in the fall and brought into the room, after which it is heavily cut off.
- The Illusion Midnight Lace has beautiful purple foliage with a greenish tint. Long cut leaves give the plant a special charm.
- Sweet Caroline Purple attracts with its beautiful lilac color. Such a rich shade allows you to create spectacular landscape compositions.
- Suite George is distinguished by a combination of shades. In addition to the purple, dark foliage, flowers also attract attention. They have a pale purple hue with a rich core.
- The Nile variety is distinguished by pink petals with a delicate white edging.
The Black Tone cultivar has almost black leaves that make the plant especially magical.
Ivy varieties
Ivy varieties are distinguished by long vines that curl beautifully. Beautiful funnel-shaped flowers bloom on their stems. Among the colors, blue, red, purple shades are distinguished. Ipomoea blooms from mid-July to late August.
This species also includes the morning glory kvamoklit or cypress liana. It has unconventional leaves that resemble Christmas tree needles. The flowers are small, star-like, colored red.
Deciduous species
Deciduous varieties are distinguished by spectacular foliage and beautiful flowers. Thanks to active breeding work, it was possible to create many unique plants, for example, the moon-flowering morning glory, which blooms only in the dark. The flowers are snow-white and have a pleasant almond aroma.
Morning glory Harlequin is distinguished by non-standard color of petals. There are many vertical blue lines on a white background. Moirot has purple stripes of varying thickness against the same background.
Morning glory ampelous in pots
It is not always convenient to plant plants in open ground. The best option is shallow flat containers. Hanging planters can be hung on a cornice or balcony railing.
Lianas hanging from the pot look spectacular and beautiful
Another placement option is rectangular containers.Several varieties can be planted in them. It is necessary to maintain a distance of 10 cm between the bushes, otherwise the morning glory will grow poorly. Such a structure is allowed to be placed on verandas and terraces. Small flower beds effectively decorate buildings.
Ipomoea can be planted in tall outdoor flowerpots. In this case, the vines will hang beautifully around the edges, visually increasing the size of the composition. In the open field, morning glory is used for alpine slides and as a ground cover plant.
Another option for breeding morning glory is planting next to wild grapes. These plants quickly braid any vertical surface, and their combination looks very beautiful.
Morning glory has one important feature: with growth, the shoot develops in a spiral, that is, it winds clockwise. The same wild grapes grow in a more straightforward manner. Therefore, the morning glory can be used as a decoration for decorative tower structures.
Another combination option is with red beans. It grows quickly, curls well, blooms beautifully. Such a duet can be a living fence or decorate an existing hedge.
Some growers consider morning glory as a weed. The fact is that its seeds can be found in garbage heaps.
Therefore, another option for using morning glory is to mask compost piles. Making homemade humus allows you to create nutritious soil, but the place of compost looks unsightly. Vines are good at disguising a bunch and distracting attention.
Non-standard ideas
Not everyone wants to spend a long time in the garden, come up with complex designs. In this case, you can approach the matter from a simple point of view and use the means at hand.
Vines braid the mesh fence well
A horizontally stretched rope or wire is suitable as a support for the plant. On the edge of the roof of the gazebo or veranda, the morning glory will look like an elegant garland. Simple garden trellises can be made by yourself. To do this, you will need wooden strips 3 cm wide. Instead of pillars, polypropylene pipes are used.
Taking care of ampelous morning glory is not so difficult. If it is grown as an annual, then even old raspberries will serve as a support. It has strong stems that lianas easily twist around.
Briefly about the content
Ipomoea can be made to bloom with the help of special conditions. This is especially important if it is grown in a room. The plant needs a lot of light, otherwise the stems will stretch ugly.
Ipomoea should not be obscured by anything. Therefore, you cannot plant it near large bushes. Proper care consists in abundant watering. It is better to do this in the evening with warm water. There should be no stagnation of moisture in the pot, so you need a planter with drainage holes. Watering should help keep the soil moist, as the plant is very sensitive to drought.
Morning glory blooms from mid-summer to mid-autumn - the exact duration depends on the variety. As a fertilizer, it is better to use universal products for flowering plants. It is impossible to add a large number of drugs, as this stimulates the growth of green mass.
Ipomoea is best propagated by seeds. Seed boxes appear after flowering. Frosts quickly spoil them, so the seeds are harvested from the first flowers.
The seed can be stored for 4-5 years
You need to sow the seed early - in the first weeks of March. This is necessary so that the sprouts not only hatch, but also gain strength before being transferred to the open air. You can plant seeds in a universal soil, cover the container with a film or glass on top - this will create the effect of a greenhouse.
Another breeding option is tubers. To do this, in the fall, the tubers are carefully dug up, placed in a dark place and left until spring.During this time, buds appear on them and the fetus can be divided into four parts. After that, the plant is planted in different pots and usually looked after.
Ipomoea ampelous is represented by different varieties. This is a beautiful and spectacular plant that attracts not only with flowers, but also with decorative leaves.
