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Useful Tropical Plants

Ipomoea tricolor

Cav.

Convolvulaceae

+ Synonyms

Ipomoea rubrocaerulea Hook.

Pharbitis rubro-caerulea (Hook.) Planch.

Pharbitis tricolor (Cav.) Chitt.

Convolvulus venustus Spreng.

Convolvulus rubrocaeruleus (Hook.) D.Dietr.

Ipomoea hookeri G.Don

Ipomoea schiedeana Ham.

Ipomoea violacea Lunan

Common Name: Morning Glory

Ipomoea tricolor
Flowering plant
Photograph by: Dwight Sipler
Creative Commons License
Ipomoea tricolor Ipomoea tricolor Ipomoea tricolor Ipomoea tricolor

General Information

Ipomoea tricolor is a small to large, herbaceous perennial plant, usually producing stems around 5 metres long. These stems can scramble over the ground or twine into nearby vegetation for support.
The seeds are sometimes used as an hallucinogen, whilst the plant is commonly grown as an ornamental.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

331
Title
Flora of Guatemala
Publication
 
Author
Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark
Website
http://www.archive.org/
Publisher
 
Year
1946 - 1976
ISBN
 
Description
A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/

Range

Southern N. America - Mexico. Widely naturalized in tropical countries.

Habitat

Scrub and waste places[
260
Title
Conservatory and Indoor Plants Volumes 1 & 2
Publication
 
Author
Phillips. R. & Rix. M.
Publisher
Pan Books, London.
Year
1998
ISBN
0-330-37376-5
Description
Excellent photos of over 1,100 species and cultivars with habits and cultivation details plus a few plant uses. Many species are too tender for outdoors in Britain though there are many that can be grown outside.
]. Moist thickets, sometimes in hedges or waste ground; at elevations from 800 - 1,850 metres[
331
Title
Flora of Guatemala
Publication
 
Author
Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark
Website
http://www.archive.org/
Publisher
 
Year
1946 - 1976
ISBN
 
Description
A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/
].

Properties

Medicinal Rating *  *
HabitPerennial Climber
Height5.00 m
Cultivation StatusOrnamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Ipomoea tricolor is a native of seasonally dry tropical regions. It is not very frost tolerant.
Requires a rich well-drained soil in a warm sunny position[
1
Title
RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956
Publication
 
Author
F. Chittendon.
Publisher
Oxford University Press
Year
1951
ISBN
-
Description
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
].
A climbing plant, supporting itself by twining around the branches of other plants[
219
Title
Gardening on Walls
Publication
 
Author
Grey-Wilson. C. & Matthews. V.
Publisher
Collins
Year
1983
ISBN
0-00-219220-0
Description
A nice little book about plants for growing against walls and a small section on plants that can grow in walls.
].
A short-lived perennial species[
219
Title
Gardening on Walls
Publication
 
Author
Grey-Wilson. C. & Matthews. V.
Publisher
Collins
Year
1983
ISBN
0-00-219220-0
Description
A nice little book about plants for growing against walls and a small section on plants that can grow in walls.
].
There are many named forms selected for their ornamental value[
219
Title
Gardening on Walls
Publication
 
Author
Grey-Wilson. C. & Matthews. V.
Publisher
Collins
Year
1983
ISBN
0-00-219220-0
Description
A nice little book about plants for growing against walls and a small section on plants that can grow in walls.
].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The seed contains small quantities of the hallucinogen LSD[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
,
219
Title
Gardening on Walls
Publication
 
Author
Grey-Wilson. C. & Matthews. V.
Publisher
Collins
Year
1983
ISBN
0-00-219220-0
Description
A nice little book about plants for growing against walls and a small section on plants that can grow in walls.
]. This has been used medicinally in the treatment of various mental disorders.

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Pre-soak the seed for 12 hours in warm water, or scarify the seed, and sow in individual pots in a greenhouse in early spring. The seed usually germinates in 1 - 3 weeks at 22°c. Plants are extremely resentful of root disturbance, even when they are quite small, and should be potted up almost as soon as they germinate[
219
Title
Gardening on Walls
Publication
 
Author
Grey-Wilson. C. & Matthews. V.
Publisher
Collins
Year
1983
ISBN
0-00-219220-0
Description
A nice little book about plants for growing against walls and a small section on plants that can grow in walls.
]. Grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter then plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Cuttings of side shoots in a peaty soil.
Layering.
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-11-22. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Ipomoea+tricolor>

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