Seeds from My Garden

Moonflower

Ipomoea alba

Moonflowers wait until evening to unfurl their huge white blooms. Plant them near a porch or walkway where you can catch the flowers opening and enjoy their scent.

Large white moonflowers opening on a vine in Amelia's garden

Light

Full sun

Sow

½ inch deep

Soil

Warm soil

Habit

Fast annual vine

How to sow

Nick the hard seed coat gently with a file, or soak seeds overnight in warm water. Start indoors 4–6 weeks before the last frost, or direct sow once the soil is warm. Give each seed about ½ inch of soil.

How to grow

Provide a sturdy trellis, fence, or railing right away. The vines may start slowly, then take off once summer heat arrives. Water regularly while they establish.

What to expect

The large, fragrant flowers open at dusk and are visited by night-flying moths. The vine can grow 10–15 feet in a season.

Seed-sharing note

These seeds came from plants growing in my garden. Seedlings are individuals, so they may not look exactly like the parent plant—and that is part of growing from seed.

From my garden

A closer look

Close view of a white moonflower bloom — One newly opened evening bloom

Large brown moonflower seeds beside a dime for scale — Moonflower seeds beside a dime for scale

A note from my garden

“This is one of those plants that makes me stop what I’m doing and look. A white flower opening at dusk feels a little like garden magic.”