Ipomeoea alba Moonflowers -Reply

Well, "newbie" you'll have to make sure on the
botanical name, Ipomea alba.  I've grown them
for 7 years and they definitely climb, twine and
have tendrils.  Once slightly trained (simply tie
the long runners to whatever you want it to
grow on), it grows "on itself" after that.  You
sure she's not talking about datura?  Also white
night fragrant flowers, rather shrubby, big white
trumpets.

If you do start impomea alba, I'm in zone 6a/7b
and I have to start them inside in like
March/April, plant out after frost, but for me, in
the PNW, I did not get it to flower until I
planted it in a HOT, DRY, bed.  Positively
intoxicating fragrance!

It may be perennial in zone 9, 10 or something,
but not in your zone or mine.  It blackens and
dies at frost.  Hope you have either a long or
hot growing season.  If I didn't have a long
season, I'd probably not get it to flower, since
are summers are typically 85-90 max.

Have fun.  It can be challenging, but worth it. 
It took me 7 years of trying each year with a
new plant in different locations to get it to
flower.  This year I don't expect flowers or
coverage because we had the wettest May on
record and the plant in mid-August is about 1'
tall.  This is the third plant I've tried this year,
the others gave up in the wet or the 90+ days
we had in MID-APRIL.  Weird year, to say the
least.  I'll try again next year!

>>> "Bosco, Mimi"
<mbosco@metropo.mccneb.edu> 08/10/98
05:14am >>>
My friends are sprawling vines that
cover a section of lawn.  I'd like to mine to grow
UP as opposed to OUT.
The friend says she has never seen a
moonflower climb--no tendrils or
suckers to help them attach to a trellis or fence,
but according to
Sunset National Garden, they're a perennial
climber.  How can I get a
climber to climb?  

Mimi in Omaha
Zone 5      



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