The domineering "little trumpet": The beautiful morning glory is actually a "foreigner"?

Speaking of invasive alien species, the most well-known ones are red fire ants and golden apple snails. However, some common plants may also have been included in the list of invasive alien species.

Morning glory is one of the common ornamental plants, but many people do not know that it is actually an "alien visitor" and has been included in my country's third batch of invasive alien species list.

Round-leaved morning glory (picture from the list of invasive alien species in China)

What is round-leaved morning glory?

Morning glory, whose scientific name is Ipomoea purpurea (L.) Roth, is also known as Common morning-glory in English. It is also known as trumpet flower and purple morning glory. It belongs to the Convolvulaceae family and is an annual herb.

Round-leaved morning glory grows on the edge of fields, roadsides, houses or in valley forests from plains to 2,800 meters above sea level.

The "hometown" of round-leaved morning glory is in faraway South America. The main reason why it became an "outsider" is its spread and diffusion caused by artificial introduction.

In 1890, my country had already cultivated round-leaved morning glory. Now, round-leaved morning glory can be found in various provinces such as Anhui, Beijing, Fujian, and Gansu.

Round-leaved morning glory has lush growth and bright colors. It is used as a good material for vertical greening in gardens and is often planted on fences or climbed to create shade sheds.

The round-leaved morning glory likes warmth and is suitable for survival in a humid, sunny environment. However, it has no strict requirements on the soil and can grow in slightly acidic to slightly alkaline soil.

The seeds of round-leaf morning glory can be used as medicine, and have the effects of purging water, reducing swelling and dispersing accumulation.

Patches of round-leaved morning glory (picture from the list of invasive alien species in China)

The harm and prevention measures of round-leaved morning glory

Although round-leaved morning glory is a common ornamental plant, it is also a weed in dry fields, orchards and nurseries.

The round-leaved morning glory can grow in a variety of soils and is very drought-tolerant. Once it invades farmland or orchards, it will entangle and cover crops or fruit trees, affecting the photosynthesis of crops, and in severe cases, it will cause the death of crops or trees.

Not only that, round-leaved morning glory can also spread mosaic virus, damping-off disease, powdery mildew and other viruses and bacteria, causing harm to crops and human health. Therefore, when round-leaved morning glory appears in farmland, timely measures need to be taken to prevent and control it.

There are usually two ways to control round-leaved morning glory:

Physical eradication: It can be done manually during the seedling stage or by mowing before fruiting;

For chemical control, common chemical agents include dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and 2,4-D butyl. These agents can prevent the seeds of round-leaved morning glory from germinating and kill the seedlings. Spraying them on the leaves can kill mature plants of round-leaved morning glory.

Scientific review: Xu Letian (Professor and doctoral supervisor at Hubei University)

Editor: Xie Yun

Copywriter: Yuan Jiawen (internship)