Ipomoea purpurea
Common morning-glory
(c) sandy-espinozaf, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by sandy-espinozaf · licence
Family: Convolvulaceae · Type: Vine · Not Native
Ipomoea purpurea (Common morning-glory) is a non-native California vine in the Convolvulaceae family, recognized by heart-shaped entire leaves and annual habit key.
Common morning-glory is a naturalized annual found in the central coastal, southern coastal, and Sacramento Valley regions in disturbed places, fields, and orchards at elevations below 300 meters. Flowering from unspecified months, this plant produces purple, blue, pink, or white flowers 4 to 6 centimeters long with a striking, wide-mouthed trumpet shape. Growing with climbing or spreading stems, it extends across disturbed ground with broad, heart-shaped leaves. Its leaves are 7 to 12 centimeters wide, cordate in shape, and can be entire or divided into 3 to 5 lobes, with a slightly hairy surface. The flowers emerge from peduncles that can bear 1 to 5 blossoms, each with lance-oblong sepals 12 to 16 millimeters long.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 2 sympatric species; heart-shaped entire leaves and annual habit key
Habitat and range
Habitat: Disturbed or waste places, fields, orchards
Elevation: < 300 m
Outside California: native to tropical America
How to tell it apart
vs Calystegia: Calystegia stigma has two flattened lobes; Ipomoea stigma is a single rounded knob.; vs Convolvulus: Convolvulus stigma splits into two pointed lobes; Ipomoea stigma is unlobed and ball-shaped.; vs Pandorea: Pandorea has compound leaves; Ipomoea has simple leaves.; vs Alyogyne: Alyogyne has deeply lobed leaves; Ipomoea leaves are typically heart-shaped or entire.; vs Datura: Datura flowers are upright trumpets with pleated edges; Ipomoea flowers are smooth funnels.
Frequently asked questions
Is Ipomoea purpurea native to California?
No. Ipomoea purpurea is not native to California (recorded as not native).
What plant family does Ipomoea purpurea belong to?
Ipomoea purpurea is in the Convolvulaceae family, genus Ipomoea.
What habitat does Ipomoea purpurea grow in?
Ipomoea purpurea grows in Disturbed or waste places, fields, orchards.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Ipomoea sp. — Morning-glory
- Ipomoea triloba — Little bell morning glory
- Ipomoea cairica — Mile a minute vine
- Ipomoea hederacea — Ivy morning-glory
- Ipomoea indica — Oceanblue morning glory
- Calystegia atriplicifolia subsp. buttensis — Butte county morning-glory
- Calystegia collina — Coast range false bindweed
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.