All In The Morning Glory Plant Family
Photo by ~ Dennis Wood
Most members of this plant family grown in the tropics, however, the United States has a few native species. Our home grown kinds are living vines with bell shaped flowers.
For example, the sweet potato is a morning glory. Yellow sweet potatoes are often called yams, but the true yam is actually related to the lily family.
Some of our native morning glories are:
- White
- Pink
- Purple or lavender
Another variety of morning blory is the cypress vine, with scarlet or whtie flowers and leaves cut into thin white slats.
Also, the leafless pink or yellow dodders that twist around other plans and live on their juices are related to the morning glories.
Like many people, Morning Glories are a favorite of my plants. I can’t help it they are so beautiful and so recognizable, literally a staple of most gardens.
morning glory photo by Dennis Wood
Unlike others, my love for the flowers goes back to a bittersweet memory of a long lost friend. Her Cherokee name was Julia Morning Glory and she lost her life, in part, because of her love of Morning Glories. As lovely as they are, Morning glories if ingested can cause problems for both humans and mammals. The responsible gardener should be aware of plants like the Morning Glory to safeguard those who don’t value them for their beauty.
Morning Glory Photo by ~ Dennis Wood
Morning glories and other plants in the same family, have a dangerous side. Their seeds are dangerous hallucinogens, especially with long term use. In fact, the seeds are the most often stolen seed in any garden center by teenagers looking for an experimental drug.
Not only are the users of Morning Glory seeds risking an LSD like experience that they are not prepared for — but they are also ingesting seeds, that like all seeds in the U.S. are coated with an insecticide, that can poison them. This factor is one of the reasons you’ll seldom see Morning Glory plants being allowed to go to seed in public gardens.
This doesn’t mean that we all shouldn’t love these flowers, but it does bring up the fact that even the loveliest of our garden flowers should have some awareness of either allergic or poisonous effects.
If You’d Like To Know More About Morning Glories:
How To Plant, Grow And Care For Morning Glories
Tom Rubenoff’s Poem - Morning Glories Open To The Moon