This Fast-Growing Purple Flower Gives Fall Blooms But Could Take Over Gardens

At first glance, morning glory (Ipomoea purpurea) looks like a dream flower with its gorgeous blooms, but don't be fooled. This weed plant comes with baggage: It's invasive in certain states and can run your yard with no regard for the rest of the landscape. Its vines shoot up at lightning speed, wrapping around plants, fences, or anything they can sink their claws into. Plus, this fast-growing flower can easily self-seed, which makes it important to keep it in check. A member of the Convolvulaceae family, this deceiving invasive weed is native to tropical and subtropical regions across the Americas. In a single season, it can climb and spread 6 to 10 feet high.

Another reason some gardeners should never add this beautiful flower to their garden is that its seeds contain naturally occurring compounds called indole alkaloids, which can be toxic to pets and humans if ingested. Dogs, cats, and horses should be kept away. With that in mind, this annual vine does have its few benefits. Its summer and fall blooms, which come in a variety of colors, are a magnet for pollinators like hummingbirds, specialized bees, and butterflies. With its heart-shaped foliage and hairy stems, common morning glory can even moonlight as a ground cover in patchy areas around your yard. Just keep an eye on it so it doesn't take over your garden, and remove or avoid planting it if you live in Arizona, Georgia, Kentucky, West Virginia, or Ohio, where it is considered invasive.

It's not hard to successfully grow morning glory. A weed that has naturalized itself in both cultivated and uncultivated fields, common morning glory thrives in full sun and tolerates most soil types. Give it soil high in clay, loam, or sand, even shallow rocky spots, and it won't complain — as long as the soil drains well. It can handle occasional dry or wet conditions, and as an annual plant, it can grow in any zone but will only live for a single season.

If common morning glory has found a sweet spot in your yard and you don't live in a state where it's invasive, the key is to keep it in check. Stay on top of pruning, or its vines will run amok, and you might end up in uncomfortable confrontations with your neighbors. Spot any dead or damaged leaves or stems? Don't procrastinate; remove them. You also don't want those flowers dropping seeds and sprouting new vines, so cut them in late summer or early fall. One way to keep morning glory from smothering your other plants is to give it a trellis to climb. This way, you'll be able to keep an eye on the vines before they become a problem.

At the end of the day, this purple bloom may be more trouble than it's worth. If you don't think you can stay on top of it, the smart move is to weed it out completely and make room for purple flowers that actually play nice.