Quick Characteristics:
| Height: | 150-250 cm (4.9-8.2 ft) |
| Flower Colors: | purple |
| Usage: | climber tuber |
| Life form: | tuber |
Ipomoea pubescens Lam., the silky morning-glory, is a antitropically distributed species from the Americas, reaching from Texas and Arizona to south-western Mexico, and again down the Andes to northwest Argentina. Flowering is triggered by the availability of water, allowing them to be grown like Dahlias in temperate climates with a cool and dry winter storage. Caudex enthusiasts may grow them with part of the tuber exposed.
All green parts, including the attractively lobed leaves are covered with fine white hair. The flowers are 4-5 cm (2") wide and deeply blueish purple. As usual with blueish Ipomoeas, the blue pigment is not UV stable and fades to purple by the time the flowers close, usually by late morning. The photos show a plant cultivated by Martin Bohnet.
