Grow this specialty blend of Morning Glory flowers from freshly harvested Convolvulus tricolor flower seeds. Ensign Mixture is a vine with a compact growth habit. It’s vines, unlike traditional Morning Glories, will only grow to a mature length of about 1 foot long. This makes them a perfect choice for hanging baskets, pots and containers. They also look great in window boxes, along borders, or directly in the flower bed as well. Because of their short growth habit, some even use it as an annual groundcover as well.
The flowers of Morning Glory, Ensign Mixture open up to a good 2 or 2.5 inches in diameter, exposing multicolored, saucer like petals. Each bloom is a unique combination of red, pink, white, blue and purple. The outer layer of each flower is the primary color, while the second and third layers are white and yellow as it nears the center. These colorful and cheery blooms will attract an array of beneficial insects to the garden, such as butterflies, bumblebees, hummingbirds and honeybees as well.
Morning Glory, Ensign Mixture is categorized as an annual flowering plant. It’s leaves, flowers and short stems will grow quickly from fresh Convolvulus seeds. Once established, the plants will bloom profusely through the summer months, later dying with the first frost. Seeds can be collected at the end of the season, once the flowers have dried out. The seeds can sometimes fall to the bare ground beneath, just before the first frost, allowing these beautiful plants to regrow the following season.
Sowing The Seed
You will notice that Morning Glory seeds consist of a hard outer shell. Before sowing these seeds, they should be prepped by scarification or soaking. Sometimes you can even consider both methods. Nick the seeds with sandpaper or a knife and soak in warm water, for 24 hours. If starting indoors, sow in peat pots, 6 to 8 weeks prior to the last frost. Place the seeds at a depth of 1/4″ under topsoil. Transplant, or direct sow into the garden when the weather is warm and all danger of frost has passed.
Growing Conditions
Morning Glory plants will thrive in the heat of summer and prefer an area of full sunlight. Temperatures should be at least 70F or higher. The soil should be average to sandy, but also well drained. To increase drainage, we recommend adding a light compost to areas containing hard, compact soil. Water the seeds daily until germination has occurred, watering less frequently as time goes on.
Germination & Growth
Morning Glory seeds typically germinate within roughly 7 to 14 days after sowing. Ensign Mixture, unlike other traditional Morning Glory plants, will establish short, bushy like plants. They grow only to a mature height of roughly 1 foot tall and can be spaced about 12 inches apart from one another. The plants are excellent for borders, flower beds, in hanging baskets, pots & container, or window boxes as well.