Meyer’s Morning-Glory: A Lesser-Known Native Treasure
If you’re passionate about native gardening and love discovering hidden gems in the plant world, Meyer’s morning-glory (Ipomoea meyeri) might just pique your interest. This perennial herbaceous plant represents one of those fascinating native species that doesn’t get much attention in mainstream gardening circles – but perhaps it should!
What Exactly is Meyer’s Morning-Glory?
Meyer’s morning-glory is a native perennial that belongs to the morning-glory family, scientifically known as Ipomoea meyeri (you might also see it listed under its synonym Convolvulus meyeri). Unlike the aggressive annual morning glories that can take over your garden faster than you can say oops, this is a well-behaved native perennial that knows how to play nicely with its neighbors.
As a forb herb, this plant is essentially a soft-stemmed perennial that lacks the woody tissue you’d find in shrubs or trees. Think of it as nature’s way of creating a climbing plant that comes back year after year without getting too big for its britches.
Where Does This Native Beauty Call Home?
Here’s where things get really interesting – Meyer’s morning-glory has what botanists call a disjunct distribution. This native plant naturally occurs in two seemingly unconnected places: Georgia in the southeastern United States and Puerto Rico in the Caribbean. It’s like nature decided to plant little treasures in two completely different worlds!
Should You Grow Meyer’s Morning-Glory?
Here’s the honest truth: Meyer’s morning-glory is something of a mystery plant in the gardening world. While we know it’s a legitimate native species worthy of conservation and appreciation, detailed growing information is surprisingly scarce. This could mean a few things:
- It might be quite rare in the wild
- It hasn’t been widely cultivated or studied
- It could have very specific growing requirements that make it challenging to grow outside its native range
- It simply hasn’t caught the attention of the horticultural world yet
The Case for Native Plants
Even though we don’t have a complete growing guide for Meyer’s morning-glory, there are compelling reasons to be interested in this native species:
- Supports local ecosystems: Native plants have co-evolved with local wildlife and provide irreplaceable benefits
- Adapted to local conditions: Once established, native plants typically require less water, fertilizer, and pest control
- Conservation value: Growing rare or uncommon natives helps preserve genetic diversity
- Unique garden interest: You’d have something truly special that few other gardeners possess
If You’re Determined to Try It
Should you come across Meyer’s morning-glory through a specialized native plant sale or conservation organization, here’s what we can reasonably assume about its needs based on its morning-glory heritage and native range:
- Likely prefers well-drained soils
- Probably enjoys full sun to partial shade
- May need some form of support for climbing
- Being a perennial, it should return each year once established
- Suitable for USDA zones that match its native Georgia and Puerto Rico range (likely zones 8-11)
Important note: If you do find this plant available, make absolutely sure it’s from a reputable source that uses responsibly collected or propagated material. Never collect plants from the wild!
Alternative Native Morning-Glories
If Meyer’s morning-glory proves elusive (which it very well might), consider these other native morning-glory species that are more readily available:
- Beach morning-glory (Ipomoea imperati) for coastal gardens
- Wild potato vine (Ipomoea pandurata) for inland areas
- Red morning-glory (Ipomoea coccinea) for annual color
The Bottom Line
Meyer’s morning-glory represents the fascinating world of lesser-known native plants that deserve our attention and conservation efforts. While it might not be the easiest plant to find or grow, it serves as a reminder that our native flora is full of hidden treasures waiting to be appreciated. Whether you manage to grow this particular species or simply appreciate it from afar, supporting native plant conservation helps ensure these botanical gems survive for future generations to discover and enjoy.
Sometimes the most rewarding gardening adventures involve the plants that make us work a little harder to understand and appreciate them. Meyer’s morning-glory might just be one of those special challenges worth pursuing!
