BLUE DAWN FLOWER

Blue Dawn Flower

Ipomoea indica

There are few plants which produce such a long display of flowers in the glasshouses than the Blue Dawn Flower. The flowers are a striking purple-blue, very similar in shape to our wild Bindweed but twice as large. The flowers open in the morning and fade to magenta in the evening. Ipomoea indica is a perennial with heart-shaped leaves and with flowers produced daily from a dense clustered inflorescense. Ipomoea indica was introduced by Henry John Mandeville (1773-1861), British Minister in Buenos Aires about 1837 (and whom Mandevilla suaveolens is named), and William Strangeways, 4th Earl of Ilchester (1795-1865). Nowadays Ipomoea indica is found throughout the tropics, scrambling over fences and over woody plants, often to their detriment. It has been described as troublesome in the tropics if left unchecked. But it is delight when in flower.