Moonflower in Michigan

[simy1]

I collected moonflower seeds from an acquaintance's garden last year, and they produced several plants in my own garden. He has now moved away, and I recall that he had them year after year. But I read that moonflower is an annual in Michigan, so I suspect his plants were dying but reseeding. Mine have not yet produced seeds. Do you think they will come up next year? Also, I planted them a bit too thickly. If they will survive, anything I need to know before I move a few in a month?

[JoeSpareBedroom]

Unless you KNOW you've got a place on your property that's sort of a mini-zone, warmer than the rest (near house foundation, for instance), the plants probably won't survive the winter. Why move them? Collect (or buy) seeds and replant next near. Give them a head start by starting them indoors in INDIVIDUAL pots. They don't like being transplanted, so use 4-6" pots, which will enable you to move a larger soil mass without disturbing the roots.

[simy1]

I would just like to know for sure. His moonflowers looked like perennials (much bigger plants than what I got). My guess is that moonflower is perennial in Michigan and I would like to hear from people who have them.

[JoeSpareBedroom]

From Burpee: Moonflower Giant White Fragrant 6" flowers open in the evening. Old fashioned flowers just like morning glories but they open in the evening. Fragrant 6" flowers mix well when grown with the morning bloomers for added interest. Grow as an annual but perennial in mild areas. Height

15'. Easy to grow. Grows best in full sun.

Go here:

about 1/3 of the way down the page are comments from lots of people who've grown them in various place. However, you cannot "know for sure" until you try them yourself. How long have you gardened on your current property? Have you observed plants surviving when they were not expected to? If so, that's a warm spot.

[simy1]

it looks like it will make it from the Davesgarden site you indicated. If they can in Minneapolis they can here. I will mulch it. Thanks for your help.

[JoeSpareBedroom]

Well, I'm sure you know there are no guarantees in gardening. Don't forget to order some seeds in early January. By the time you figure out your plants are dead, the $2.00 will seem unimportant.

[Sparky Organic]

"My guess is that moonflower is perennial in Michigan and I would like to hear from people who have them."

Moonflower is definitely not a perennial in Michigan. I'm in central Ohio, which is a zone or two warmer than where you are, and they are not perennial here. Morning glories (same family) weren't even a perennial for me when I lived in South Carolina, although they did reseed like crazy.

Hope for seeds and collect them. Put them in a jar in the fridge and start them outside (not inside, because most of them won't survive repotting) after the last frost. Soak them in warm water the night before you plant them and you'll have a good result.

Sparky

[Ann]

"simy1" expounded:

What are you calling Moonflower? Datura? If so, it is marginally hardy here. The way you tell that it's a returnee is there are multiple stems coming out of the ground, very late in the spring. The seedlings come up with single stems (of course). Usually I'll see them come back if I've had a fair amount of snowcover over the winter and the spring isn't interrupted with lots of hard frosts (doesn't happen often but I did get one come back this spring).

[Karl L. Wuensch]

What are you calling Moonflower? Datura? If so, it is marginally hardy here. The way you tell that it's a returnee is there are multiple stems coming out of the ground, very late in the spring. The seedlings come up with single stems (of course). Usually I'll see them come back if I've had a fair amount of snowcover over the winter and the spring isn't interrupted with lots of hard frosts (doesn't happen often but I did get one come back this spring).

[Lin]

I started with one plant , ‼️‼️*you have no idea what I have now . 5 Ft tall took over the front planter Half of the front of my house . I dry the pods an plant the seeds . They come up every year . Michigan