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daliah_gw

Do Morning Glories Self-Seed?

Daliah
19 years ago

I am going to be planting morning glory seeds this year for the first time. Will they self-seed next year? I realize that they are an annual, but I have heard that they can become a little invasive. I don't mind if this happens. If I wish for them to come back next year, is it okay just to scatter more seeds this fall or better to wait til next spring?

Comments (32)

  • Rosa
    19 years ago

    Indeed they do reseed well (this is what can make them a little invasive in some places) and either way of sowing is fine.

  • nanatina
    19 years ago

    Hmm - I've never had them reseed here. Could be because I collect most of the seeds. I wish they did reseed here cuz I would like to not have to plant them every yr. Tina

  • Woody_Canada
    19 years ago

    Tina - maybe your colder zone kills the seeds... they certainly seed themselves here!

  • Rosa
    19 years ago

    At the colder zones they don't. Here in my 8300' zone 4 garden they sure don't but 15 miles down the hill and 2000' lower in zone 5 gardens they sure do.

  • flowergirl_cs
    19 years ago

    I have never had morning glories re-seed either...I wish they would! I'll just continue starting them from seed each year.

  • Rosa
    19 years ago

    I've yet to get them to do so even in a zone 4 with micorclimate thta was probably closer to a zone 5...tomatoes and peppers galore on the side of a white, south facing garage-but no luck with the morning glories, or sweat peas reseeding either!!

  • doronicum
    19 years ago

    Oh yes they do....and I even transplanted somes new plants and it does very well

  • Lorilai
    19 years ago

    I've had morning glory seeds reseed. Sometimes some seeds have gotten in with my compost and sprouted in my vegetable garden. I've just dug up the seedlings and planted them where I wanted them. I love morning glories. I've heard some people complain about them because they are invasive and that makes me sad.

  • shapiro
    19 years ago

    While I have never known other morning glories to self-seed, the heritage variety called "Grandpa Ott" re-seeds each year in two big barrels in my garden. "Grandpa Ott" is a deep purple with a red-ish star pattern inside. We have placed twig pyramids in the barrels and the vines clamber all over them. Very pretty and requires almost zero upkeep.

  • rilie
    19 years ago

    I'm in New Brunswick, and I've never had any luck getting mine to re-seed. I planted some closer to the house this year, where it will be somewhat warmer over the winter, so we will see..... :)

    Stephanie

  • Laurie_z3_MB
    19 years ago

    I've also had Grandpa Ott re-seed here in zone 3.

  • shapiro
    19 years ago

    Laurie - I'm glad to know other people are growing Grandpa Ott. Re-seeding in zone 3! Wow - that is really great. I see you garden in Manitoba and like pond plants. My garden is about 20 minutes south of Ottawa. We have a small pond with several hardy water lilies: one light yellow and two pinks: a big and a miniature. Even though our pond is only about 24 inches deep, we keep the waterlilies alive all winter, as well as goldfish, by installing a cattle trough de-icer gadget in the pond each fall, then covering the whole thing with a big sheet of 2 inch thick rigid foam. We stop this from blowing away by placing a few large rocks on top. We get pretty bad winters: each year, we have what is called a "cold snap", meaning a week or more with highs of minus 20 Celsius and lows of minus 25 or lower. In that weather, it is very hard to look out in the yard and recall that in summer, it is pretty tropical looking. All the best to you, Laurie. Please call me Patricia.

  • randiliana
    19 years ago

    Hi, my morning glories self seed. They are in a large raised bed on the south side of my house. They have been there for over 20 years and they have come back every year. I don't do much more than pull a few weeds and remove the old vines every spring.

    Randi

  • meandnan
    19 years ago

    I'm amazed to find that sooooo many people have a tough time getting their morning glories to re-seed. I live in Edmonton, Alberta, a zone 3a, and have had NO problem with it at all. I was growing Knowlians black, and Grandpa otts the come back every year. My aunt just uses the regular mixed variety and has the same success. Maybe one needs to have the colder climate. Ultimately, I still pull seeds and start them in early may. I like seeing them bloom all season.

  • laine2
    19 years ago

    Mine do just love Morning glories Ontario 4/5 zone

  • MAD4U
    19 years ago

    Meandnan.I think you are right,I live in Victoria and have tried to grow morning glories from seed with no success.I do believe you need a colder climate and I am wondering if I put the seeds in the fridge over winter and planted them in the early spring if that would help?????

  • Sammie_540
    19 years ago

    Yes, mine reseed and begin growing before I even get new seeds out of the package.

  • clairdo2
    18 years ago

    I put my morning glories out too soon and they all froze.

  • northspruce
    18 years ago

    Mine re-seed but not heavily. I have grown Flying Saucers - which has never re-seeded, and Milky Way, which has. Nowhere near the point of invasive. I have heard that they have problems in the south States with them taking over. When I was in Mexico I saw there were large areas of natural forest swamped by what appeared to be Heavenly Blue MGs and the trees had been killed underneath.

  • MAD4U
    18 years ago

    Hello...well this is another year and I started morning glories inside,transplanted them about two weeks ago and they are REALLY growing,I am so happy!! I sowed two in a large pot and one in the ground...nowI am a bit worried that the one that I planted in the ground will spread like wild fire,could this happen ? If so I will pot it. It is called Heavenly Blue.I really hate these invasive plants that you can not keep in control. I planted a Canary vine with the m.g as I thought the blue and yellow would look nice together. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

    Here is a link that might be useful: gardenweb

  • vrie
    18 years ago

    I'm officially in zone 4, but get enough cold some years I decided to treat it as a 3. In the house I bought, the previous owner at some point planted morning glories all along the fences, the sides of lower beds and along the garage. I like morning glories and even planted them for my brother last year! The previous owner though was insane about them! They are EVERYWHERE!!! Even if I only get about 1/4 of the plants she started with each year, I will have morning glories for an eon! They are definitely reseeding here, so you might as well try. Now I only hope the sweet peas will take alongside them!

  • northspruce
    18 years ago

    MAD4U, I wouldn't worry about them taking over. They don't spread by roots and only the seeds overwinter, not the plants, so if you see any seedlings next spring where you don't want them, just pull them out. Having said this, I just noticed you are in BC so I don't know if your winter would kill them? But like I said they don't spread by roots if that's what you're worried about.

  • MAD4U
    18 years ago

    Thax northspruce,now I will just leave my M>G> where it is planted in the ground. and by the way, the ones that I planted in the pot are doing really much better than the one in the ground. I live on Vancouver Island and the winters are not very cold at all... we call it Paradise after living in Edmonton and Ottawa,get the odd snow storm but nothing drastic Thanks again

    Here is a link that might be useful: northern gardening forum

  • sued113
    17 years ago

    Is it possible to get seeds from the plants to sow next spring? We have harsh windy winters and the morning glories I have now are so beautiful, I'd like to have them again next year.

  • marciaz3 Tropical 3 Northwestern Ontario
    17 years ago

    Mine have actually produced seeds this year - first time ever. I'm sure you will be able to in zone 5, Sue.

  • hostaholic2 z 4, MN
    17 years ago

    I'm in zone 4, MN and they reseed like crazy. I haven't planted any in years, just pulled out lots of them.

  • nancyrivard_hotmail_com
    12 years ago

    Thank you everyone...now I know I'm not seeing things. I had a tremendous year last year for the morning glories adorning my fence. This year I have zillions of what looked like little morning glory plants every where. I did not know they could reseed. But I do now! I do believe they can get a tad invsive...But I love them so!

  • clalleman1
    8 years ago

    I live in zone 4 in Michigan. After planting Grandpa Ott, while very beautiful, it is the most invasive plant I've ever encountered. I never had this happen with Heavenly Blue. I thought HB was a hybrid that didn't reseed. If you aren't able to tend a perennial bed very regularly, Grandpa Ott has the will power to kill many sun loving perennials. I left for a month a few summers ago, only to return to an absolute jungle of vine and blossoms covering my entire bed. The worst weed I must deal with now. I will try to pull as many vines as possible this fall before they go to seed. I'm sure there will be plenty left. Here is a photo of Grandpa Ott growing all over my wisteria quite a distance from where I did sow some seeds many years ago. I believe it is such a beautiful plant. Just wish I wouldn't have put it in my perennial bed area. The seeds seem too heavy to infest everything on your property. A word of caution. Morning glories are toxic to dogs and cats. My dogs don't ever mess with them, but good to keep that in mind. If anybody knows of a variety that does not reseed, I would love that information.

  • Frank Sharpe
    8 years ago

    It took forever for my Morning Glories to grow, but now they keep coming back every year. I leave the vines to dry out and they keep coming back. Sometimes hard to control.

  • Barbara Daniels
    4 years ago

    I live in upstate New York (Zone 4) and my Hazlewood Blues, Scarlet O'Hara, and Crimson Ramblers all re-seed themselves every year - heavier and fuller each summer.

  • Patricia Dumas
    4 years ago

    Been studying MGs for a long time now, and have seen them morph into different cultivars here on the NJ Shore, zone 6. If Heavenly Blue MGs are planted along with another variety,they will reseed into most likely Grandpa Ott. I can never get Heavenly Blues to reseed into Heavenly Blue. The seed is all sterile. At least here it is. While Grandpa Ott will morph over and over into the same, or become a bindweed type flower, the Heavenly Blue stumps me. How in the world do the seed growers get a viable Heavenly Blue seed? What is the cross or hybridization? My lifetime question has never been answered. Hope someone can help.

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