Common Morning Glory

By William T. Hathaway

Common Morning Glory (Ipomoea purpurea)

This floral inhabitant of many local fields and woodland edges is only a weedy nightmare for some farmers. To those of us who are not farmers these Morning Glories are surprisingly beautiful when noticed especially in early morning dew. Amazingly, this noxious weed may display marvelous colors; its usually purple color is often replaced by white, pink, blue, or variegated colors. The line of flowers are scattered along a vine that may reach twelve feet in length or form tangled clusters.

Many flower gardens have a trellis or fence covered with spectacular varieties of this flower; it brings to mind a quote from Walt Whitman (Leaves of Grass: “Song of Myself,” stanza 24), “A morning-glory at my window satisfies me more than the metaphysics of books.”

(Also compare with the Little Red Morning Glory and the Small White Morning Glory.)


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