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Ipomoea cordatotriloba

Tievine

Convolvulaceae Southern North America

Attracts Pollinators Attracts Butterflies Attracts Hummingbirds Drought Tolerant

Native to North America

SunFull Sun – Part Shade

WaterLow · drought-tolerant

HardinessZones 8–11

Overview

Ipomoea cordatotriloba is a twining perennial vine of the morning glory family, climbing or trailing 3-10 feet (0.9-3 m) from a deep, fleshy root. The leaves are variable, either heart-shaped or cut into three lobes, 1-4 inches (2.5-10 cm) long, on slender stems that wind around supports and neighboring plants. From late spring through fall it bears funnel-shaped flowers 1-2 inches (2.5-5 cm) across in pink to lavender or pale purple, each with a darker throat, opening in the morning and closing by afternoon. The flowers give way to rounded capsules holding a few dark seeds. The deep root lets the plant resprout after the top is cut or frosted, and stems root where they touch moist soil. It grows fast in warm weather, tolerating heat, drought, and poor soil, and is a frequent weed of cotton and other row crops in the southern United States. It dies back in frost but returns from the root in mild zones.

Native Range

Native to the southern and southeastern United States and northern Mexico, from the Carolinas and Florida west to Texas and Arizona. It grows in fields, fencerows, thickets, and disturbed ground, often in sandy or sandy-loam soils.

Suggested Uses

Grown occasionally on fences, trellises, and arbors in warm-climate gardens for its summer flowers, spaced 2-3 feet (60-90 cm) apart. More often it appears as a self-seeded vine of field edges and disturbed ground.

How to Identify

Identified by twining stems with leaves that are either heart-shaped or three-lobed, sometimes both on the same plant, and pink to pale purple funnel flowers with a darker center. The flowers open in the morning and close by midday. The variable leaf shape and a deep, fleshy root separate it from annual morning glories.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height3' - 10'

Width/Spread3' - 6'

Reaches mature size in approximately 2 years

Colors

Flower Colors

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~22 weeks

Spring Summer Fall

Flowers from late spring through fall, roughly May to October, and nearly year-round in frost-free areas. Each bloom lasts a single morning, but plants flower steadily over a long season. Flowering is heaviest in warm, sunny weather.

Detailed Descriptions

Flower Description

pink to pale purple

Foliage Description

green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun SunPartial Shade

Requires 6-10 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range5.5 - 7.5(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

sand loam clay

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Low

Frost Tolerance

tender

Time to Maturity

1-2 years

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Grows in full sun to part shade on most well-drained soils, from sand to loam, at a pH of 5.5-7.5. It needs little water once the deep root is established and tolerates heat, drought, and poor fertility. Rich, moist soil and full sun produce rampant growth that can smother nearby plants. It is grown from seed or root pieces and spreads by both seed and rooting stems. In zones 8-11 the root survives winter and resprouts, while frost kills the top growth. Regular cutting keeps the fast-twining stems in check.

Pruning

Cut back twining stems through the season to control spread and keep them off neighboring plants. Remove frost-killed growth in spring, when the plant resprouts from the root in mild zones. Digging out the deep root is needed for full removal, as fragments resprout.