Ipomoea purpurea - Morning Glory Bohemian Shades seeds

Morning Glory 'Bohemian Shades' or Ipomoea purpurea is a variety that offers flowers blooming in shades of dark purple and marked with crimson, or bright pink marked with red, always with a white centre. For several months, it unfurls twining stems laden with buds that open into intense and contrasting corollas. Whether planted in the ground or in a pot, its beautiful heart-shaped foliage covers large areas, either to create astonishing ground cover or to form superb flowering garlands on any available support.

Morning Glory 'Bohemian Shades' is a very vigorous climbing plant from the Convolvulaceae family. The botanical species Ipomoea purpurea has origins that trace back to tropical regions of America, likely Mexico. A perennial with tuberous roots, it is sensitive to frost in our climates and is grown as an annual. This plant's growth is rapid: it sends its long twining stems of 3m to climb any available support. The flowering is long and abundant, from July until the first frosts. In the 'Bohemian Shades' selection, the funnel-shaped corollas measure 5 to 6 cm in diameter. While these flowers permanently close in the afternoon, they constantly renew on the plant. The twining stems bear oval to heart-shaped, 5 to 10 cm leaves, rarely trilobed, in a matte dark green. Each plant produces around 100 pods filled with seeds, roughly 600 seeds, by the end of the season, before the first frosts. These seeds can be harvested for resowing the following year, but plants from seeds may not necessarily be identical to the parent plant.

This distant cousin of the common garden bindweed does not survive harsh winters, but its vigorous growth more than compensates for this disadvantage. Morning Glory 'Bohemian Shades' thrives in well-drained garden soil, rich and retaining some moisture. For abundant flowering, sow it in a warm and sunny location. It pairs well with other ephemeral climbers such as Sweet Peas or climbing Nasturtiums. This plant elegantly drapes itself over structures like trellises, pergolas, obelisks and balcony railings, as well as on trees and bushes, or even on clematis and wisteria. In the absence of support, it can also spread on the ground. It is ideal for giving new life to an old wall or a dead tree.