Family: Convolvulaceae
Common name: Beach moonflower, Sea moonflower, Heavenly blue morning glory, Sea moonflower glory, Blue moonflower, Heavenly blue
Beach moonflower is a beautiful climbing vine with large, trumpet-shaped blue or white flowers that bloom at night. They are commonly seen in tropical and sub-tropical countries, growing near lakes, seas, and other water bodies.
Plant Characteristics
Beach moonflower plants are quick growers that can reach a length of 3-4 metes or even more depending on the supporting structures they have. Stem is long, slender, and trailing, usually green in color and slightly woody towards the base.
They love to climb on fences, trellises, supporting structures, or the surrounding vegetation, quickly covering the structure with bright green leaves.
Leaves of Beach moonflower are large, heart-shaped, bright green, about 10-15 cm long. The margins are slightly wavy, and the surface is smooth to touch.
Known for their beauty and nocturnal blooming habit, flowers of the Beach moonflower are very pretty. They are blue or white in color with smooth, delicate petals. The flowers about 10-12 cm in diameter with separate petals that are merged in the center.
These large, white flowers mostly attract nocturnal pollinators like moths and insects that help pollinate them. Fruits of the Beach moonflower are papery, round or oval, about 2-3 cm in diameter, each fruit containing 4-6 seeds.
Gardening tips
Beach moonflowers are quite easy to grow, since they grow very quickly producing beautiful foliage and flowers. The prefer bright sunlight for at least 5-6 hours a day. Soil should be well-drained and consistently moist since these plants like to grow near the water.
Water them regularly, and fertilize occasionally with a mild, balance fertilizer. The most important thing is to place these plants where they can climb on fences, trellises, or supporting structures.
They are capable of clambering on surrounding vegetation and choking new plants. So care should be taken to prune or control any long stems. They can be grown near waterbodies to cover the area with greenery since Beach moonflower plants can grow and spread quickly.
Uses of Beach moonflower
These plants are mostly grown as ornamentals along fences, or to cover trellises. They are said to have compounds that produce psychoactive effects, and hence they should not be consumed.
In large quantities, they can also causes toxicity in pets and humans. There is no scientific evidence for any medicinal use for the Beach moonflower.
Propagation
Propagation is through seeds and stem cuttings.
The seeds of the Beach moonflower have a tough outer shell which should be scrubbed with sandpaper. The seeds can also be soaked in warm water for 24 hours to improve their chances of germination.
Photographed at: Koonammavu, Kerala
