# Ipomoea alba
**Ipomoea alba** L., commonly known as the moonflower, is a night-blooming climbing vine in the morning glory family ([Convolvulaceae](https://www.edgepedia.org/convolvulaceae)), native to tropical and subtropical America, whose large, fragrant white flowers open at dusk and collapse by early morning. The species was first published by Linnaeus in *Species Plantarum* in 1753 and remains an accepted name[1](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn%3Alsid%3Aipni.org%3Anames%3A129128-2/general-information). Kew's Plants of the World Online describes it as a climbing herbaceous plant or liana growing primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome, and records uses as a poison and a medicine, environmental uses, and food use[1](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn%3Alsid%3Aipni.org%3Anames%3A129128-2/general-information).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Scientific name | *Ipomoea alba* L., first published in Sp. Pl.: 161 (1753); family Convolvulaceae[1](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn%3Alsid%3Aipni.org%3Anames%3A129128-2/general-information) |
| Common names | Moonflower (English), Viviu (Spanish), Dama-da-noite (Portuguese)[2](https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T126421388A158506713.en) |
| Flowers | Open at night, scented; white or greenish-cream; tube 7–12 cm long, limb salver-shaped, 11–16 cm wide[1](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn%3Alsid%3Aipni.org%3Anames%3A129128-2/general-information) |
| Native range | Tropical and subtropical America, from Mexico through Central America, the Caribbean, and South America[3](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/129128-2) |
| Growth habit | Twining or prostrate stems; leaves 6–20 × 5–16 cm, cordate at the base; garden vines reach 10–15 feet[1](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn%3Alsid%3Aipni.org%3Anames%3A129128-2/general-information) • [4](https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?cv=5&isprofile=0&lo=1&taxonid=279304) |
| Conservation | IUCN Red List Least Concern (assessed 25 February 2020); extent of occurrence estimated at 29,500,000 km²[2](https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T126421388A158506713.en) |
| Toxicity | Low severity poison characteristics; the plant is used as a poison as well as a medicine[5](https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/ipomoea-alba/) • [1](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn%3Alsid%3Aipni.org%3Anames%3A129128-2/general-information) |
## Description
Moonflower is a glabrous, or rarely pubescent, annual or perennial climber with thick, smooth stems that twine or run prostrate[1](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn%3Alsid%3Aipni.org%3Anames%3A129128-2/general-information). The leaf blade is ovate to circular in outline, entire or 3-lobed, 6–20 cm long and 5–16 cm wide, heart-shaped (cordate) at the base, on slender petioles 5–20 cm long[1](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn%3Alsid%3Aipni.org%3Anames%3A129128-2/general-information). In cultivation the leaves are described as heart-shaped and about 8 inches long[5](https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/ipomoea-alba/).
The flowers are the species' defining feature. The corolla opens at night, is scented, and is white or greenish-cream below, with a cylindrical tube 7–12 cm long and about 0.5 cm wide and a salver-shaped limb 11–16 cm across[1](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn%3Alsid%3Aipni.org%3Anames%3A129128-2/general-information). The flowers open rapidly over the course of a few minutes[5](https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/ipomoea-alba/) and collapse early in the morning, except on cloudy days[1](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn%3Alsid%3Aipni.org%3Anames%3A129128-2/general-information). The fruit is a glabrous capsule about 2.5–3 cm long containing four ovoid, brown or black, smooth seeds 11–13 mm long[1](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn%3Alsid%3Aipni.org%3Anames%3A129128-2/general-information).
Identification is easiest in flower. Fruiting material is difficult to distinguish from the related *Ipomoea muricata* except by the longer awn-like (aristate) points of the sepals, which in *I. alba* run 4–10 mm long on the outer sepals[1](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn%3Alsid%3Aipni.org%3Anames%3A129128-2/general-information).
## Distribution and habitat
The native range covers tropical and subtropical America. Plants of the World Online lists the species as native to Mexico (several regions), [Central America](https://www.edgepedia.org/central-america), the Caribbean islands including Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico, and much of South America including Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela[3](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/129128-2). It has been introduced widely beyond that range, including Florida, Texas, and Louisiana in the United States, much of tropical Africa and Asia, Australia ([Queensland](https://www.edgepedia.org/queensland), [New South Wales](https://www.edgepedia.org/new-south-wales)), Hawaii, and many Pacific islands[3](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/129128-2).
The IUCN assessment describes the species as widely distributed throughout a range of habitats, mainly along shaded tropical streams but also in disturbed areas, in the Caribbean, Central and South America[2](https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T126421388A158506713.en). In Bolivia it grows in disturbed damp bushy places, particularly along shaded tropical streams, mostly below about 1600 m, and is also cultivated in gardens as high as Sucre at 2800 m and [Cochabamba](https://www.edgepedia.org/cochabamba) at 2600 m[1](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn%3Alsid%3Aipni.org%3Anames%3A129128-2/general-information). Although collected in flower in almost every month of the year there, it flowers most commonly at the end of the summer rainy season from February to July[1](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn%3Alsid%3Aipni.org%3Anames%3A129128-2/general-information).
## Night blooming and pollination
The common name refers to the flowering schedule: large white flowers start out as twisted buds in the morning and open in the evening, releasing a sweet fragrance[6](https://extension.illinois.edu/flowers/moonflower). This nocturnal pattern makes the vine a standard component of moon gardens, plantings designed to be enjoyed by moonlight, where white or light-colored night-opening fragrant blooms are the preferred choices[7](https://apnews.com/article/79d6e909bacad87706e7c41c4a360229).
The scent and evening opening attract moths. The North Carolina Extension describes watching moths pollinate the blooms and lists the plant as a host for the hummingbird moth (*[Macroglossum stellatarum](https://www.edgepedia.org/hummingbird-hawk-moth)*) and sphinx moths ([Sphingidae](https://www.edgepedia.org/sphingidae))[5](https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/ipomoea-alba/).
## Cultivation
Moonflower is a tender perennial vine, winter hardy to USDA Zones 10–12, and is grown as an annual in temperate regions[4](https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?cv=5&isprofile=0&lo=1&taxonid=279304) • [5](https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/ipomoea-alba/). In the garden it reaches 10–15 feet in height and 3–6 feet in spread, blooming from July to October in full sun with medium water[4](https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?cv=5&isprofile=0&lo=1&taxonid=279304). The vine grows slowly until weather turns very warm, then grows rapidly, and needs a support structure such as a fence, arbor, or trellis[5](https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/ipomoea-alba/).
**Propagation is by seed.** Seeds are started indoors 4 to 8 weeks before the last spring frost, soaked overnight in warm water or nicked with a file or knife to break the hard seed coat[5](https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/ipomoea-alba/) • [4](https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?cv=5&isprofile=0&lo=1&taxonid=279304). Because the vine needs a long growing season, early indoor starting is recommended; outdoor sowing delays bloom unacceptably late in summer[6](https://extension.illinois.edu/flowers/moonflower) • [4](https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?cv=5&isprofile=0&lo=1&taxonid=279304). The plant tolerates deer and reports no significant insect or disease problems[4](https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?cv=5&isprofile=0&lo=1&taxonid=279304) • [5](https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/ipomoea-alba/).
Outside gardens the species can behave as a weed. A South African invasive plant guide lists *Ipomoea alba* with the invasive status "Transformer"[8](https://invasives.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Alien-Weeds-and-Invasive-Plants-A-Complete-guide-to-declared-weeds-and-invaders-in-South-Africa-By-Lesley-Henderson.pdf), and it is recorded among *Ipomoea* species present in Queensland[9](https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/69174/IPA-Ipomoea-Indica-Risk-Assessment.pdf).
## Uses and toxicity
Kew records the species as used as a poison and a medicine, with environmental uses and food use[1](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn%3Alsid%3Aipni.org%3Anames%3A129128-2/general-information). The North Carolina Extension assigns it low severity poison characteristics[5](https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/ipomoea-alba/). Ethnobotanical work in Brazil records that in candomblé, seeds and leaves of *Ipomoea* species including *I. alba* are used in preparations offered to adherents to attain a state of mind suitable for divination in ceremonial religion[10](https://www.scielo.br/j/rbfar/a/Z8pTtwKsbjqRKmGVBN9VPSw/?lang=en).
## Conservation
The IUCN Red List assessed the moonflower in 2020 and published the result in 2021 as Least Concern[2](https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T126421388A158506713.en). The justification notes an estimated extent of occurrence of 29,500,000 km² and area of occupancy of 3,500–1,277,500 km², both exceeding the thresholds for a threatened category; although overall population size and trend are unknown, the species is very frequent throughout its range and thrives in disturbed areas[2](https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T126421388A158506713.en). Colombia's national red list (2021) gives a status of Potential LC[1](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn%3Alsid%3Aipni.org%3Anames%3A129128-2/general-information).
## References
1. [Ipomoea alba L., Plants of the World Online, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew (general information)](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn%3Alsid%3Aipni.org%3Anames%3A129128-2/general-information)
2. [Ipomoea alba (Moonflower), The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021](https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T126421388A158506713.en)
3. [Ipomoea alba L., Plants of the World Online, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew (distribution)](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/129128-2)
4. [Ipomoea alba, Plant Finder, Missouri Botanical Garden](https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?cv=5&isprofile=0&lo=1&taxonid=279304)
5. [Ipomoea alba (Moonflower, Moonvine, Tropical White Morning Glory), North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox](https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/ipomoea-alba/)
6. [Moonflower, Illinois Extension](https://extension.illinois.edu/flowers/moonflower)
7. [Moon gardens: Designed to shine when bathed in moonlight, AP News (2023)](https://apnews.com/article/79d6e909bacad87706e7c41c4a360229)
8. [Alien Weeds and Invasive Plants: A complete guide to declared weeds and invaders in South Africa, Henderson](https://invasives.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Alien-Weeds-and-Invasive-Plants-A-Complete-guide-to-declared-weeds-and-invaders-in-South-Africa-By-Lesley-Henderson.pdf)
9. [Ipomoea indica risk assessment, Fisheries Queensland](https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/69174/IPA-Ipomoea-Indica-Risk-Assessment.pdf)
10. [Review of the genus Ipomoea: traditional uses, chemistry and biological activities, Revista Brasileira de Farmacognosia](https://www.scielo.br/j/rbfar/a/Z8pTtwKsbjqRKmGVBN9VPSw/?lang=en)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Life and health › Plants and algae › Seed plants › Other flowering plants › Asterids › Lamiid families › Nightshade, dogbane, and morning-glory families*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 19, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 19, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license