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Moonflower

Ipomoea alba
Also known as: Moonvine, Tropical White Morning Glory, White Moonflower

Moonflower is a flower in the Convolvulaceae family. It grows best in full sun with medium moisture, and is listed for USDA zones 2-13. Plants reach maturity about 95–129 days after planting and sit about 6 inches apart.

Varieties

1 from True Leaf Market · sorted by days to maturity
  • Tall Night Flowering95–129 days

    Non-GMO; Container; Annual

    112 Days to maturity. Ipomoea alba. Tall Night Flowering Moonflower Seeds. Non-GMO, annual. Tall Night Flowering moonflower seeds boast some of the most fragrant, spectacular, and rapid-growing blooms in the entire world. Tall Night Flowering moonflower is a vigorous garden performer, easy to grow from seed and vines as high as 15-20 feet up any trellis, tree, fence, or archway. Tall Night Flowering seeds promise enormous 5-6 inch wide ivory white blooms, world-renowned for their irresistible nocturnal perfumes and aromas. Tall Night Flowering moonflower seeds are a dazzling plant both indoors and out and ideal for adding an authentic touch of summer to any living room, office, porch, or patio. Approximately 113 seeds/oz.

    View on True Leaf Market
Family
Convolvulaceae
Category
Flower
Form
Vine
Lifecycle
annual
Zone
2-13
Height
15–20 ft
Spread
1–1.5 ft
Sun
Full sun

Plant spacing

4 plants per square footSquare-foot planting diagram: a 1-foot square divided into a 2-by-2 grid holding 4 moonflower plants spaced 6 inches apart.
4 plants per square foot

In a square-foot bed, space moonflower about 6 in apart — that fits 4 plants in each 1-foot square (2×2). Wider rows or containers space the same.

Water
Medium

Plan your moonflower planting

Add moonflower to a free GardenDraft plan and get sow, transplant, and harvest dates computed for your ZIP code — with a drag-and-drop bed layout and reminders when it’s time to plant.

Start your free plan →

At a glance

Days to harvest
95–129 days
From transplant or sow to first harvest
Harvest style
Harvest once
One main harvest
After harvest
Use within days
Quality eases off after peak
Frost tolerance
Tender · to ~32°F
Lowest temperature the foliage usually survives
Germination
~60%
Typical minimum germination rate

Growing timeline

When to plant and harvest moonflowerPlanting timeline for moonflower, relative to last frost: start indoors from 7 weeks before last frost to 1 week after last frost; grow from 1 week after last frost to 15 weeks after last frost; harvest from 15 weeks after last frost to 19 weeks after last frost.Start indoorsGrowHarvestLast frostTransplant
Start moonflower indoors ~8 weeks before transplanting 1 week after last frost; first harvest 15 weeks after last frost.
Seed to transplant
42-56 days
Outdoor planting
7 to 14 days vs frost
Propagation
Seed
Schedule anchor
Last Frost

Care & troubleshooting— extension-sourced, with citations

Something looks wrong?

Describe what you see on your moonflowerand we'll rank the likely causes — most likely first, least-invasive fix first.

Japanese beetles

Pestmoderate

Symptoms: leaves skeletonized between veins; lacy chewed foliage; metallic green-bronze beetles clustered on plants; feeding worst in warm midsummer sun

Spider mites

Pestmoderate

Symptoms: fine pale stippling/speckling on leaves; fine webbing on undersides in hot dry spells; leaves bronzing and dropping

  • CulturalHose down and raise humidity· every 3 days · ~2 wksstrong evidence — extension confidence

    Mites thrive in hot, dry, dusty conditions. Spray foliage (especially undersides) with water to dislodge them and reduce dust.

    Source: UC IPM

  • OrganicInsecticidal soap or horticultural oil - label use only· every 5 days · ~2 wksmoderate evidence — extension confidence

    Apply to undersides per label; mites resist many products, so soaps/oils are preferred. Not in extreme heat.

    Always follow the product label — it is the law.

    Source: UC IPM

Aphids

Pestlow

Symptoms: clusters of tiny soft-bodied insects on new growth and undersides; sticky honeydew or sooty mold; curled distorted new leaves; ants tending them

  • CulturalBlast off with water· every 3 days · ~2 wksstrong evidence — extension confidence

    Knock colonies off with a strong jet of water in the morning; repeat every few days. Light infestations rarely need more.

    Source: UC IPM: Aphids

  • OrganicInsecticidal soap - label use only· every 1 wk · ~3 wksmoderate evidence — extension confidence

    For persistent colonies apply insecticidal soap to undersides per label. Avoid open flowers.

    Always follow the product label — it is the law.

    Source: UC IPM

Leaf miners

Pestlow

Symptoms: winding pale tunnels inside the leaf; pale blotches between the upper and lower leaf surfaces; tunnels/blotches that can't be rubbed off because the larva is inside

  • CulturalPick mined leaves + row cover· every 5 days · ~3 wksmoderate evidence — extension confidence

    Remove and bag leaves with tunnels, and cover plants with insect netting to block the egg-laying flies. Damage is mostly cosmetic on leafy crops.

    Source: UMN Extension