Pots of the Japanese morning glory variety Cameo Elegance are flowering at Bangladesh Nursery in the Kachharighat area of Mymensingh: small pinkish-red flowers, each petal edged with a fine white line. Botanist Choyon Bikash Bhadra came across them on the morning of 27 October after a walk in the Zainul Abedin park on the Brahmaputra, he writes in Prothom Alo.
The plant, Ipomoea nil, is an ornamental climber of the bindweed family, Convolvulaceae, and as its name says it opens in the morning light. The leaves are usually heart-shaped, sometimes three-lobed, and flower stalks rise from the leaf axils. Given support, the soft stems climb fences, nets and trellises quickly.
In Japan the morning glory is called asagao. In the 19th century gardeners there worked intensively on its colours, petal forms and leaf shapes, selecting and breeding many varieties. Cameo Elegance is one of them; the flowers are not large, but the contrast with the dark green leaves catches the eye.
The vine is easy to grow on a rooftop, a balcony or in a small yard. It needs a sunny spot and fertile soil that drains well. In a pot it needs a stick, net or small trellis to climb. Water when the top of the soil dries out, but never let water stand in the pot. It is usually grown from seed.
The writer also gives a warning: morning glory seeds can cause poisoning if eaten, so they should be kept out of reach of children and pets.
For gardeners who want greenery and colour in a small space, this autumn-flowering vine is an option for a rooftop or balcony. The column is by Choyon Bikash Bhadra, professor and head of botany at Muminunnisa Government College, Mymensingh.
Photo: Bff / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Source: Prothom Alo
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