Crestrib Morning-Glory: A Lesser-Known Native Treasure
If you’re looking to add some native charm to your garden with a touch of mystery, meet the crestrib morning-glory (Ipomoea costellata). This annual native might not be as famous as its flashier morning-glory cousins, but it deserves a spot in the conversation about authentic American wildflowers.
What Makes Crestrib Morning-Glory Special?
The crestrib morning-glory is a true native of the American Southwest, naturally occurring in Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. As an annual forb herb, this plant completes its entire life cycle in one growing season, making it a perfect choice for gardeners who like to switch things up each year or fill in seasonal gaps in their landscape design.
Unlike woody shrubs or trees, this morning-glory stays herbaceous throughout its life, with soft, non-woody stems that emerge from the ground each spring. It’s classified as a forb, which simply means it’s a broadleaf plant that isn’t a grass, sedge, or woody plant.
Growing Your Own Crestrib Morning-Glory
Here’s where things get a bit tricky – and honestly, quite intriguing. Detailed growing information for Ipomoea costellata specifically is surprisingly scarce in horticultural literature. This could mean one of several things: it might be quite rare in cultivation, it could be confused with other morning-glory species, or it simply hasn’t caught the attention of mainstream gardening yet.
What We Do Know
Based on its native range in the Southwest, we can make some educated guesses about what this plant might prefer:
- Hot, dry conditions typical of Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas climates
- Well-draining soils, likely sandy or rocky
- Full sun exposure
- Minimal water requirements once established
- Annual growth pattern, meaning you’ll need to replant or allow self-seeding each year
Should You Plant Crestrib Morning-Glory?
If you live in the Southwest and are passionate about authentic native plants, this species could be a fascinating addition to your garden. However, the limited availability of seeds or plants, plus the sparse growing information, means you’ll be somewhat of a pioneer gardener if you choose to grow it.
For most gardeners seeking morning-glory charm with native credentials, you might want to consider other well-documented native Ipomoea species that are more readily available and have established growing guidelines.
The Bottom Line
Crestrib morning-glory represents one of those wonderful mysteries in the native plant world – a species that exists, has a place in our native ecosystems, but remains largely unexplored in garden settings. If you’re the type of gardener who loves a challenge and wants to help preserve lesser-known natives, this could be your next project. Just be prepared for some detective work along the way!
Have you encountered this elusive morning-glory in the wild? We’d love to hear about your experiences with this intriguing native species.
