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| Family | Convolvulaceae. |
| Genus & Species | Calonyction aculeatum |
| AKA | Ipomoea aculeata. Ipomoea bona-nox. Ipomoea noctiflora. Ipomea alba. Calonyction album. Calonyction bona-nox. |
| Common Names | Moonflower. Moonvine. Giant moonflower. Tropical white morning glory. |
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| Size/Shape | Climber. Rapid grower. 10 to 15'. Grows slowly until hot weather. A milky-juiced, nearly or quite hairless vine 10 to 20 feet tall or taller. Something to climb on must be provided. |
| Leaves | 8" heart shaped leaves. Blue green. Its heart-shaped, angular or three-lobed, long stalked, pointed leaves are 3 to 8 inches across. |
| Flowers | Flowers in the evening. Beautiful saucer-shaped flowers, 6 ins. or more across. Flowers the first year from seed. Large white flowers open late afternoon and close at dawn. Attracts moths. The white or slightly greenish-white flowers, one to seven on stalks 2 to 6 inches long, pop open in the evening and usually close by morning, but sometimes remain open until noon. |
| Blooming Season | June to September. Late spring to early winter. July to August. |
| Fragrance | Sweet-scented in the evening. Fragrant. |
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| Propagation | Soak seeds overnight in warm water or nick with a file. Raised from division of the roots, cuttings of firm, well-ripened shoots, and by layering. To facilitate germination of seeds it is advisable to cut a little notch in each with a file or to soak the seeds for several hours in concentrated sulfuric acid before sowing. They may be sown outdoors in spring where the plants are to remain, but in the north it is advantageous to start them earlier (six to eight weeks before the plants are to be set in the garden) indoors and to plant them out after the weather is warm and settled. By allowing the roots to become somewhat crowded in the pots before planting out it is thought that the vines are induced to come into bloom somewhat earlier. Seeds are sown in spring in a temperature of 60 to 70 degrees F. The seedlings are potted individually in 3- or 4-inch pots. When well rooted in these they are planted, five to seven together, in 8- to 12-inch, well-drained containers. Soak seed a few hours and any that do not swell should be lightly nicked. Seed long lived, some 50 years. Nick seed or soak overnight in warm water till swollen. Germinates in about 2 weeks. Sow early and plant out in May. Needs to be a bit pot bound to flower well. |
| Soil | Well drained. Mildly acidic. They adapt to a wide variety of soils. In general they prefer well-drained, loamy soils of at least moderate fertility. Coarse, fertile, well-drained soil. Coarse, rich soil. The soil mixture to use should consist of two parts loam, one part peat moss or leaf mold, and one part of well-decayed manure with a liberal amount of sand added. In the early spring, the soil should be top-dressed with rich compost. |
| Water | Moist. Ample moisture. During the winter they are kept drier. Watering is at first moderate, more generous when the pots or tubs are filled with roots. Water should be given abundantly from April to September, the remainder of the year water sparingly only when the soil is dry. |
| Food | Regular applications of dilute liquid fertilizer during their season of active growth. In the early spring, the soil should be top-dressed with rich compost. |
| Pruning | Can cut off their tops in the fall. Wiry shoots are cut out in early spring to prevent the plant from becoming crowded. |
| Light | Full sun. |
| Climate | Greenhouse. Hardy to zone 8. Tropical. |
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| Source to Buy | Chilterns seeds. Banana Tree seeds (as Ipomoea alba). |
| http://tinyurl.com/hpzzz | |
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