Morning glories captivate with vibrant, trumpet-shaped blooms that unfurl with the morning sun. These climbing vines are a familiar garden sight. Beyond common blue and purple varieties, a world of rare morning glory colors offers unique hues.
What Makes a Morning Glory Color Rare
A morning glory color is rare due to several factors, starting with natural genetic variations. Unique genetic mutations can lead to unusual color expressions that differ from typical blue, purple, or white blooms. These spontaneous changes are uncommon and difficult to replicate consistently.
Some rare colors are exclusive to specific, less common morning glory species or hybrids that are challenging to breed. Developing and stabilizing certain color traits through selective breeding requires significant effort. Their limited availability contributes to their rarity, as they may only be offered by specialist growers or through specific seed exchanges.
Exploring Unique Morning Glory Shades
Morning glories encompass a spectrum of unique and striking shades. Pure blue varieties, such as ‘Heavenly Blue’, stand out for their vibrant, sky-blue petals, often featuring a white or yellow throat. These blooms are distinct from more common purplish-blue tones.
For darker hues, varieties like ‘Knowlians Black’ offer deep, velvety purple blooms that approach a near-black appearance. The ‘Dark Purple Black’ variety presents a large dark purple bloom with rich tones. These varieties often feature a subtle pink center or red stripes, adding complexity.
Warm tones also exist. Some morning glories display shades of pink, red, or subtle oranges. For instance, ‘Crimson Rambler’ is known for its crimson-red flowers with red veins and white throats. ‘Stellar Pink’ produces bright pink flowers with crimson stars and white throats, blooming throughout the summer.
Multi-colored and striped varieties present intricate patterns. ‘Flying Saucers’ features large, five-inch periwinkle blossoms with distinct white stripes and a yellow throat. The ‘Carnevale di Venezia’ variety showcases white flowers with stripes of varying widths, which can be rose-pink or purple-blue.
Morning glories with picotee edges or distinctive centers offer visual interest. ‘Blue Picotee’ displays deep blue flowers with a crisp white edge. ‘Red Picotee’ features red flowers with white or light pink edges. ‘Chocolate Rose Silk’ has mauve flowers with a white picotee edge and can reach up to 14 feet in height.
Sourcing and Cultivating Rare Morning Glories
Acquiring rare morning glory varieties requires sourcing from reputable, specialized seed suppliers for authenticity. While these seeds might be harder to find and potentially more expensive, they allow cultivation of unique blooms. Online seed banks and dedicated heirloom seed companies are good starting points.
Successful cultivation begins with proper seed preparation. Morning glory seeds have a hard seed coat, so scarification improves germination rates. This involves gently rubbing seeds with sandpaper or nicking them with a nail clipper, followed by soaking them in warm water overnight. Soaking allows water to penetrate the seed, signaling it to sprout.
Planting should occur after the last frost, as morning glories prefer warm soil and full sun exposure, receiving at least six to eight hours of direct sunlight daily. Well-draining soil with a neutral pH between 6.0 and 6.8 is suitable. They tolerate various soil conditions but bloom better in soil not overly rich in organic matter.
Sow seeds about 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep, spacing them a few inches apart, or six inches apart if planting in a row. Consistent watering is important during initial growth, about one inch per week. Once established, morning glories are more tolerant of drier conditions.