About
Twining climber usually grown as an annual foliage plant to 30cm tall, with a compact, mounded and trailing habit, densely branched with tapering, 5-lobed, dark-purple leaves.
About the genus
Ipomoea can be annuals or perennials, often twining, or evergreen shrubs, with simple, lobed or dissected leaves and tubular or funnel-shaped flowers which may be solitary or borne in racemes or panicles
Growing conditions
SunlightFull sun
Soil typeLoam
Soil pHAcid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil moistureWell-drained
AspectSouth-facing, West-facing
ExposureSheltered
UK hardinessH1C
Plant details
Plant typeAnnual Biennial
HabitTrailing, Bushy
FoliageDeciduous
Height0.1-0.5 metres
Spread0.5-1 metres
Time to full height1-2 years
Suggested usesCity and courtyard gardens, Cottage and informal garden, Hanging basket, Patio and container plants
Care notes
CultivationGrow outdoors in the summer months in well-drained soil in full sun with shelter; overwinter or grow in containers under glass in peat-free, John Innes No.2 compost in full light with shade from hot sun, watering freely in growth and use a general fertiliser monthly; water sparingly in winter
PruningPinch out tips to keep the plant bushy and compact
PropagationPropagate by softwood cuttings in spring or summer, or by semi-ripe cuttings in summer
Pest resistanceMay be susceptible to glasshouse whitefly and glasshouse red spider mite if grown in a conservatory or greenhouse
Disease resistanceMay be susceptible to a virus and powdery mildews