Ipomoea CAIRICA

Ipomoea CAIRICA - Cairo morning glory, Railway creeper, Mile-a-minute vine, Palm-leaf morning glory, Ipomoea cairica, Ipomoea PALMATA.

Ipomoea is the largest genus in the morning glory family (Convolvulaceae), comprising over 600 species. Among them are annual and perennial herbs, lianas, shrubs, and even small trees, and they grow primarily in the tropics and subtropics of both hemispheres.

Most morning glories are climbing plants with densely foliated shoots that scale any support and are capable of covering it in a solid living carpet. Leaves are most often heart-shaped, in some species lobed or dissected. In many species, a thickened storage root or tuber forms at the base of the stem.

Flowers are large, funnel-shaped, single or double, red, blue, purple, pink, or white. They open early in the morning and turn following the sun, closing by midday, while staying open until evening on overcast days. The fruit is a capsule with large, dense seeds.

Cairo morning glory is an evergreen perennial liana with tuberous roots and twining stems growing up to 5 m (16 ft), and noticeably longer in warm climates. The exact native range of the species is not established: it is believed to originate from a broad belt spanning from the Cape Verde Islands through North Africa to the Arabian Peninsula.

Leaves are deeply palmate-dissected with 5-7 lobes, which is why the species was long called palmate morning glory. Flowers are funnelform, up to 9 cm (3.5 in) across, pinkish-white, lilac, or lavender, with a darker center. Under favorable conditions, the plant blooms year-round.

Morning glory seeds are large, dense, dark, maturing in dry capsules. Their coat is hard, so before sowing the seeds require preliminary treatment. Stratification is not required.

Seeds are held for 1-2 hours in a 1% potassium permanganate solution, then soaked for 24 hours in warm water with the addition of a growth stimulant: SUPERthrive, HB-101, Aminozol, Epin, or Zircon. Seeds that have not swollen during this time are lightly pricked with a needle or rubbed with sandpaper and soaked again. Swollen seeds are sown in a mixture of peat and sand to a depth of 0.5-1 cm (0.2-0.4 in), moistened with a spray bottle, covered with plastic wrap or placed in a propagator, and germinated in the light, but not in direct sun, at a temperature of 22-27 °C (72-81 °F).

Under favorable conditions, the first sprouts appear in as little as 10 days; main germination is completed within 10-15 days, while individual seeds may delay longer. Sowings are ventilated regularly; waterlogging and desiccation are unacceptable. Seedlings are potted on a couple of times into larger pots while preserving the root ball. Each seedling is immediately provided with its own support: intertwined vines are later almost impossible to untangle without damage.

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The plant needs a bright location, ideally full sun. In hot climates, it also tolerates light partial shade.

Summer temperature should not drop below 18 °C (64 °F), and winter temperature not below 12 °C (54 °F). Indoors and in a greenhouse, morning glory feels splendid at ordinary room temperatures.

In spring and summer, watering is regular and abundant as the top layer of substrate dries out. In winter, watering is limited, once every 3-4 weeks depending on temperature, but the substrate must not dry out completely. Mature plants tolerate minor drought more easily than overwatering. Dry air is not detrimental to morning glory, but it responds well to leaf misting.

The substrate needs to be fertile and well-drained, with a high proportion of sand, perlite, or vermiculite. A mixture of 2 parts leaf humus, 1 part peat, 1 part vermiculite, half a part of fine expanded clay, and charcoal bits works well. Drainage is placed at the bottom of the pot.

Feeding is carried out during active growth, from March through the end of August, every 2-3 weeks with a balanced fertilizer for flowering plants that does not over-alkalize the soil.

For vertical landscaping, the vine definitely needs a support: a lattice, trellis, or taut cord. It grows extremely fast, so shoots are regularly trained and pruned back, otherwise they will crowd out neighboring plants. Besides seeds, morning glory is propagated by cuttings and layering.