Morning Glory - annuals or not?

[WendyS]

I have some beautiful Morning Glory flowers climbing up a trellis from seeds I sowed in the spring, believing them to be an annual. However, in another part of the garden when I sowed a few Morning Glory seeds last year, I have a few plants & flowers popping up again.
Are they self-seeding, or do the roots have the ability to survive from one year to another once the plants die off?

[Impret-Sir]

They are generally accepted to be annuals, however they can survive in sheltered spots and will regrow in the right conditions if the winter was mild. After all, wild bindweed, (which is basically the same plant), returns on bits of wasteland every year, and no-one replants that!

[Kim A]

We planted some seed of Ipomaea (the blue morning glory) about five years ago because it was beautiful in the picture on the packet and it said it was an annual in the instructions. We was took for a ride! Not only does it revert in year two to a white variety, it takes over your bl**dy garden. It's strangled our weeping willow, it's winning the fight with a perennial clematis. You name it, it's climbed on it. It's like a ruddy triffid. Does that answer the question? And can we be saved?

[WendyS]

Kim - a friend has also told me today of a similar experience to yours and he had a nightmare trying to get rid of it, so much as I love the deep purple flowers I'm currently getting, I think as soon as they've finished flowers I'll pull off the seed heads, and then yank the whole lot out.

Actually they are already twining round some of my tomato plants - the combination of red tomatos and purple flowers is quite spectacular, but if I grow any next year I think I'll restrict them to a patio container up some canes. Thanks for the advice.

[Kim A]

You think pulling off the seed heads will solve the problem, Wendy? Think again, my dear! I'm sure ipomaea has a sneaky way of going underground without anyone noticing. The seed heads are just a cunning disguise.....

[WendyS]

Oh dear - don't tell me I'm lining myself up for another case of the deadly Japanese Hogweed, or whatever it is that is supposed to be gallopping overe the country !

I already have a major problem with a little three leaved weed which looks like clover called Oxyalis which has little nodules on the roots which break off when you pull the weeds up and constantly regenerate themselves.

Why don't they they print a warning about this on the seed packets?? suppose nobody would buy them then !