Characteristic features of the moonflower plant, planting and caring for kaloniktion in the garden, advice on reproduction, pest and disease control, interesting notes, species.
Moonflower (Calonyction) is often found under the name Kaloniktion or Ipomoea moonflower, Ipomoea white. This plant belongs to the family Convolvulaceae or Birch. The territory of natural distribution covers the South American lands with a tropical climate and the southeastern regions of Asia. Although in natural nature the plants are represented by perennials, but in the middle latitudes (and in Russia) they are grown as annuals, since these representatives of the flora will not be able to winter here. This is due to the fact that when the temperature drops to 10 degrees Celsius, the flowers of the plant become smaller and smaller, and the stems are taken to turn brown and it is recommended to remove them.
It is believed that under the name moonflower, both varieties are combined: thorny moonflower (Calonyction aculeatum) and thorny moonflower (Calonyction muricatum).
| Family name | Bindweed |
| Growing period | Perennial, annual in the middle lane |
| Vegetation form | Herbaceous |
| Breeding method | Often vegetative, rarely seed |
| Landing period | Disembarkation only after return frosts have passed |
| Landing rules | The distance between plants is at least 20-25 cm |
| Priming | Sandy loam or loamy, light, nutritious and drained |
| Soil acidity values, pH | 6, 5-7 - neutral |
| Lighting degree | Open sunny location or weak partial shade |
| Humidity parameters | Abundant and regular watering |
| Special care rules | It is necessary to provide support |
| Height values | 3-5 m, but some 8 m and more |
| Inflorescences or type of flowers | Single large flowers |
| Flower color | Snow-white or pinkish |
| Flowering period | From mid-summer until the first frost |
| Decorative time | From spring to frost |
| Application in landscape design | As a climbing or ampelous culture, for gardening posts, pergolas and gazebos |
| USDA zone | 4–9 |
The plant bears its name due to the fact that the flowers open at night, and therefore they associate it with the moon. In some English-speaking countries it is called "moonflower". Since the flowers have a white tint and this representative of the flora still comes from the genus Ipomoea, it bears the specific name - Ipomoea alba. The Latin name “calonyction” is also associated with night flowering and is based on the Greek words “kalos” and “nukti”, which translate as “good” and “night”, respectively. However, "kaloniktion" is an old term that denoted this genus of plants until recently and is often still found in the literature, today these species are classified as Ipomoea.
These two representatives of the moonflower have a high growth rate, while the shoots can reach 5-6 meters in length, and in some specimens these parameters are 8 or more meters. The color of the stems is green, over time, lignification occurs in the lower part, and then the shoots take on brownish shades. The stems differ in branching. Densely located large leaf plates unfold on the branches. In the upper part, the outlines of the leaves are three-lobed, and those that grow below are characterized by a heart-shaped shape. The foliage is so dense that it does not let rain and sun rays pass through.
Only after sunset, large buds begin to open on the stems, spreading a fragrant aroma around. This property gave the name to the plant, since by the morning dawn the flowers begin to wither. The notes of aroma of flowers are somewhat reminiscent of almond. The opening of the buds occurs with a barely audible cotton. On cloudy days, you can see the moonflower bloom during the daytime or if the plant is planted in a shady place. But the flowering process of kaloniktion attracted the attention of flower growers only in 1773. The color of the gramophone-like corolla of the plant is pure white or pinkish, and measures 15 cm in length with 7-10 cm at its widest part. Flowers begin to open in July and this process will stretch until frost.
In natural conditions, after the flowers are pollinated, the cone-shaped seed pods, filled with dark seeds, mature. However, when cultivated under our conditions, such seed material does not have time to ripen due to the fall in autumn temperature. Therefore, seeds are bought in flower shops for propagation.
The plant is unpretentious and, along with other varieties of morning glory, can also take its rightful place in the garden.
How to grow moon flowers outdoors - planting and care
- Choosing a landing site. The plant will be most comfortable in a well-lit place or with a little shading.
- Priming suitable for kaloniction with neutral acidity (pH 6, 5-7). Loam and sandy loam are considered the best choice. The soil should be of good drainability and lightness. Although the vines will grow on a poor substrate, they will not bloom lush. It is recommended to mix humus and compost into such soil. Usually, before planting, the place where it is planned to plant white morning glory is dug onto a shovel bayonet, and the substrate is mixed with 8-10 kg of humus per 1 m2.
- Moonflower landing. To do this, it is recommended to prepare a hole in advance, on the bottom of which a layer of drainage material is laid, which serves to protect the root system from waterlogging. Such material can be river coarse-grained sand, small pebbles, expanded clay or crushed stone. For kaloniktion, it is required to provide support, which can be iron or wooden stakes. It is placed in the hole itself when planting, or if it is forgotten, then it is stuck next to the planted plant. The height of such a support should be more than a meter; as it grows, shoots of white morning glory will be wound on it. After laying the drainage, sprinkle it a little with soil mixture and put a root tuber or a seedling (seedling) on top. It is important that the root collar is not too deep, but is flush with the soil in the flower bed. From the sides, the plant is sprinkled with the same substrate and squeezed a little. This is followed by abundant watering with warm water. When several plants are planted, the distance between them is maintained in the range of 20–25 cm, since they will grow strongly. So the moonflower will grow until the heat readings drop to 10 degrees. After the foliage turns brown, the size of the flowers grinds, therefore the bush should be removed, our winters are destructive for it.
- Watering for kaloniktion, abundant and regular is necessary, but it is important that moisture does not stagnate, as this can lead to decay of the root system. If you allow a strong drying of the substrate, then the moonflower will begin to wither.
- Fertilizers Ipomoea are necessary, as well as other garden plants. For this, nitrogen is used at the very beginning of the growing season, which leads to the active growth of deciduous mass and stems. An excess of nitrogen fertilizers will lead to a weakening of flowering. At the budding phase, it is necessary to use phosphorus and potassium-phosphorus agents. You can use complete mineral complexes (for example, Kemira-Universal). When using fertilizers, strictly follow the manufacturer's instructions.
- Obtaining moonflower seeds. In our strip, it is possible to collect seed material only in some cases, since it simply does not have time to ripen. In such cases, flower growers cut off shoots crowned with larger fruit sizes and, having tied them in bunches, put them to dry under the rays of the sun. After the seed pods are slightly dry, the cut "bunches" are transferred to rooms with good ventilation for further drying. When the boxes are well dry, they are opened and the seeds are removed, which are subsequently folded into cardboard containers or paper bags.
- The use of moonflower in landscape design. Since the plant has climbing shoots, it is used for landscaping paths and areas next to buildings (houses or gazebos, sheds, etc.). Near gazebos, white morning glory can provide shading. Kaloniktion is also suitable for forming a hedge from its stems or phytowalls. Good neighbors for this vine will be other varieties of morning glory, clematis and flaxseed, as well as princes.
Moonflower breeding tips
Although morning glory can be propagated both vegetatively and with the help of seeds, only the first method is often implemented with kaloniction.
Reproduction of moonflower using seeds
For our climatic zone, sowing moonflower seeds is recommended to be done early. Since the seedlings that were sown in February will bloom only in late summer or early autumn. Therefore, sowing is carried out in the middle of winter (early January). Before sowing, stratification can be carried out - holding the seed for a long time at low heat indicators. The seeds are placed on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator for a month.
For sowing, it is recommended to pre-scarify the seed (cut off the skin a little) and soak it for a day in a growth stimulation preparation (for example, in Epin or Zircon) diluted in warm water. When soaking, it is recommended not to violate the instructions on the package. If you cannot get a growth stimulator, then ordinary aloe juice can act as such a remedy, which is diluted with water and seeds are placed in it. If the seeds have not lost their germination, then they will hatch in any case, only it will take more time without the aforementioned drugs. Seeds usually germinate in 1–2 weeks. You can wrap the seed with moistened cotton wool and then, when it sprouts, gently plant it in the ground.
After the seeds hatch, they are planted in seedling boxes with a peat-sand mixture or in separate cups (you can use peat ones, which will facilitate subsequent planting in open ground). At first, the growth of kaloniktion will be very slow, but after a short time, the speed of pulling the stems will greatly increase. This indicator will directly depend on the ambient temperature and care.
With early sowing, for care, it will be necessary to carry out supplementary lighting with the help of phytolamps, and only when the daylight hours lengthen, it is removed. At the end of May, when the return frosts have passed, you can transplant the moonflower into the open ground. If sowing will be carried out directly into the soil in a flower bed, then this should be done during the period of April-May. But in any case, before sowing, you need to soak the seed for a day in warm water with a growth stimulator.
Reproduction of moon flowers by layering
In summer, a large amount of root growth appears on the kaloniction bush next to the root collar. A healthy shoot is chosen, which is thoroughly buried in soil so that its top is visible from under the soil. Care for the layer will be the same as for the parent instance. After 30–40 days, the cuttings take root, they are separated from the parent moonflower before frost and transplanted into pots in order to provide them with indoor care for the winter period. Or, you can cover the cuttings until spring with a layer of dry foliage if cultivation takes place in the southern regions. When the soil warms up thoroughly in the spring, the layers are carefully separated from the bush and transplanted into the prepared hole.
Propagation of moon flowers by cuttings
With the arrival of spring, you can cut blanks from the branches of the bush and plant them in a shaded place for rooting. The length of the cutting should be at least 10 cm. The leaves in the lower part must be removed, and the lower cut must be treated with a root stimulation preparation (for example, Kornevin or Heteroauxin) before planting. Cut plastic bottles are placed on top of the seedlings, and the soil is periodically ventilated and moistened when it dries. When new leaves begin to bloom on the handle, you can transplant to a pre-prepared permanent place of growth or for the winter in pots.
Pest and disease control of moonflower in garden cultivation
The good news is that, like all types of morning glories, moon flowers are rarely attacked by pests and disease. But still, such troubles can happen when the rules of agricultural technology are violated. If the soil is constantly moistened from excessive watering or precipitation, in the wrong place, then moon flowers are inevitably affected by diseases of fungal etymology. Among them are usually distinguished: powdery mildew (also called linen or ashes), rot of various types, white edema and a large number of others. Such diseases are usually manifested by the appearance of spots or plaque of white, gray or brownish-rusty color on the leaf plates. As a result, the leaves begin to wither and soon fly around. As soon as these manifestations appear, the affected parts must be removed immediately, and the remaining ones must be treated with fungicidal agents, for example, Bordeaux liquid or Fundazol.
Important
Any treatment should be carried out in those periods when there is no rain or wind, so that the product remains on the deciduous mass for a longer time.
If the disease is infectious, then it is unlikely to help the moonflower, so the entire vine will have to be removed. Usually, diseases associated with viruses and infections do not respond to treatment.
Of the pests that can harm kaloniktion, there are:
- Spider mite, which can be seen by yellowed foliage and a translucent cobweb on the leaves and stems. If you do not pay enough attention, then all the stems and leaves will be braided with such a cobweb, after which the plant will die. The pest pierces the leaf plate and feeds on the sap.
- Aphids, whose population is multiplying rather quickly and can also cause irreparable harm. Aphids look like small bugs of greenish or black color. It is interesting that these pests secrete the so-called honeydew - plaque, which is the waste products of insects. The pad is sticky to the touch and over time it becomes the cause of the appearance of another disease - a sooty fungus.
If, during regular inspection, the florist has identified such "uninvited guests", then you should quickly take measures to eliminate them. For this, treatment is carried out with insecticidal preparations, such as Fitoverm, Aktellik or Aktara.
Curious notes about the Kaloniction flower
It is customary to grow this plant in the garden because of the enormous size of the flowers, as well as the aroma that fills the garden with the advent of dusk. Since the middle of the 18th century, it was customary for gardeners to decorate palace and city gardens with kaloniktion, since the fragrant aroma spread far around.
In China and Sri Lanka, flat young fruits of the prickly moonflower (Ipomoea turbinata) are usually eaten as a vegetable, and some varieties and morning glories are usually grown as an edible crop and decoration because of the night flowers. From the leaves, Chinese folk healers make infusions and decoctions that relieve stomach pains, and seed material is used to treat injuries.
There is evidence that in the old days, Mesoamerican civilizations used pods, which resembled the fruit of Ipomoea alba, to produce bouncing rubber balls. This aspect, which was known to mankind at least 3000 years ago, was used for the discovery of vulcanization by Charles Goodyear.
Moonflower species
Spiny moonflower (Calonyction aculeatum)
also called Calonyction speciosum or Ipomoea lunar flowering, Ipomoea bona-nox, Ipomoea noctiflora, Ipomoea grandiflora, Ipomoea mexicana grandiflora or Ipomoea alba. It is a herbaceous liana, characterized by powerful strongly branching stems, reaching a height of about 3 m. Shoots can stretch up to 6 meters in length. In the lower part, large heart-shaped leaf plates develop, at the top of the foliage with three lobes. Also, the leaves have a peculiarity to react very sharply to solar streams of light, due to which the leaf plates turn to the light source. At the same time, they all begin to be located in the same plane, so as not to shade each other.
Thanks to this feature, the deciduous mass is able to create such a dense cover, through which not only raindrops, but also rays of light, do not break through. Therefore, when growing such a liana-like plant, they try to lower branches from the roofs of garden structures (pergolas and gazebos, verandas and even houses) so that the foliage serves as protection from getting wet during heavy rainfall and overheating due to an increase in temperature indicators.
In the process of flowering, rather large buds begin to bloom, while the flowers in full disclosure with their funnel-shaped corollas resemble the horn of a gramophone. The color of the flowers is snow-white, the diameter at the widest point of the tube reaches 10 cm, while its neck is narrowed. At the same time, fragrant flowers can be contemplated only in cloudy weather during the day or with the onset of evening until the first rays of the sun.
Flowers begin to bloom from mid-summer or from August until the plant comes under the influence of the first frost. A decrease in heat by 10 degrees will cause a gradual withering away of the stems. In culture, the species has been used since 1773. The original homeland of this species is the tropical territories of the American continent.
Spiny moonflower (Calonyction turbinata)
also called Ipomoea turbinata or Calonyction longiftorum. A distinctive feature of this variety is that there is a pink tint in the shade of its colors. Large buds open a couple of hours in the evening before sunset. Curly herbaceous annual, with bare shoots. Stems can vary in length within 2–10 m. The petiole of leaf plates is 4–12 cm long. The leaves are pointed at the apex, at the base they can take on heart-shaped contours. The length of the leaf is 7–18 cm with a width of about 6, 5–15 cm.
The flower is formed alone or several buds can be collected in the inflorescence. The length of the pedicel is about 1–2 cm. The peak of flowering occurs at night. The shape of the sepals can vary from oblong to ovoid. The length of the flower tube can reach 3–6 cm with a diameter of 3–5 cm. There is an unclear division into 5 shallow lobes. The stamens can protrude slightly from the corolla or are absent altogether.
Related article: Planting in the open field of Kalistegia or Povoya
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