Common Morning-glory

Ipomoea purpurea

Found in fields, disturbed areas. FloraQuest, phone app (app page) What its natural habitat tells you

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Not native

Not native to Virginia. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 82%

Height: 6–10 feet
Spread: 3–6 feet
Light: Full sun
Soil moisture: Usually moist

Ipomoea purpurea — whole photograph — (c) M. Whitson, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY 4.0 · Original photograph

At a glance

Life cycle: Annual
Bloom: June to November

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Not yet recorded · Leaves

Recorded in 93 Virginia counties.

Habitats

Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground.

Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there. All habitats

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

45CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including VA

Genus host records with ranges including VA · Ipomoea

Agrius cingulataPink-Spotted Hawkmoth, Sweet Potatoe Caterpillar
Agrotis gladiariaSwordsman Dart, Clay-Backed Cut-Worm
Agrotis ipsilonIpsilon Dart, Black Cutworm, Greasy Cutworm
Amyna strictaEight-Spot Moth
Anomis flavaTropical Anomis Moth
Autographa precationisCommon Looper Moth
Chloridea virescensTobacco Budworm Moth
Chrysodeixis includensSoybean Looper Moth
Elaphria chalcedoniaChalcedony Midget
Elophila obliteralisWaterlily Leafcutter Moth

Show all 45

Emmelina monodactylaMorning-Glory Plume Moth
Euptoieta claudiaVariegated Fritillary, (?)Gulf Fritillary
Euxoa messoriaReaper Dart, Darksided Cutworm, Dark-Sided Cutworm
Euzophera semifuneralisAmerican Plum Borer
Feltia herilisMaster's Dart
Feltia jaculiferaDingy Cutworm
Feltia subterraneaSubterranean Dart, Granulate Cutworm
Hahncappsia mancalisCommon Hahncappsia
Helicoverpa zeaCorn Earworm Moth
Herpetogramma fluctuosalisGreater Sweetpotato Webworm
Herpetogramma thestealisZigzag Herpetogramma, Subtle-Feathered Grass Moth
Hyles lineataWhite-Lined Sphinx
Hypena scabraGreen Cloverworm Bomolocha, Black Snout
Lascoria ambigualisAmbiguous Moth, Ambiguous Litter Moth
Marimatha nigrofimbriaBlack-Bordered Lemon
Megalopyge opercularisSouthern Flannel Moth, Puss Caterpillar
Mythimna unipunctaArmyworm Moth, White Speck
Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth
Ostrinia obumbratalisSmartweed Borer
Papilio troilusSpicebush Swallowtail
Proxenus mirandaMiranda Moth, Glistening Rustic
Schizura ipomaeaeMorning-Glory Prominent, Checkered-Fringe Prominent
Spilosoma virginicaVirginian Tiger Moth, Yellow Woolybear Moth, Yellow Bear
Spodoptera dolichosSweetpotato Armyworm, Dolichos Armyworm, Large Cotton Armyworm
Spodoptera eridaniaSouthern Armyworm Moth
Spodoptera frugiperdaFall Armyworm Moth
Spodoptera ornithogalliYellow-Striped Armyworm Moth, Cotton Cutworm
Spoladea recurvalisHawaiian Beet Webworm
Spragueia damaSouthern Spragueia
Udea rubigalisCelery Leaftier
Vanessa carduiPainted Lady, Cosmopolite
Cosmopterix astrapias
Cosmopterix clemensella
Cosmopterix gemmiferella
Hahncappsia neobliteralis

Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)

—BeesSoutheastern regional records

3Specialist beesPollen specialists

Pollen specialists · Ipomoea

Melitoma grisella
Melitoma marginella
Melitoma taurea

Smith, Bachelder, Russell, Morales, Mosher & Seltmann 2024, Bee-Specialization-Modeling v0.6.1 (specialist host table compiled from J. Fowler's pollen specialist bee lists), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0

2BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Ipomoea

Columbina passerinaCommon Ground Dove
Cyrtonyx montezumaeMontezuma Quail

Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family: Convolvulaceae
Hardiness: Zones 2–11
Soil pH: Acidic to neutral
Flower color: Purple

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope

Bloom · “June to November” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia
Flower color · “Purple” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Hardiness · “Zones 2–11” · Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder
Height · “6–10 feet” · Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder
Life cycle · “Annual” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Light · “Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder differs)
primary_flower_color · “purple” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Soil · “Moist” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder differs)
Soil pH · “Acidic to neutral” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Spread · “3–6 feet” · Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder

Also known as

Common Morning Glory; Purple Morning Glory

Conservation status

Virginia rank	SNA
Global rank	GNR
VA status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

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