Glory

August 27, 2023

The excessive heat has dissipated, and I thought today might be a good day to get Zena back to the park for a walk.  I completed my watering early and then grabbed Zena’s harness.  Zena knows this means she is going for a ride and more importantly a walk.  When I sit in my chair Zena sits in front of me with lowered head to allow me to slip the harness on, then raises her left leg to go through the strap.  After I snap on the leash a Zena will run and sit in front of the door to wait.  She knows I will not open the door until she has settled down, so she sits until I get there.  When we get to the truck she eagerly jumps into the back seat, and we are off for the 5-minute ride to the park.  One of the reasons Zena likes the park is because she gets to explore all the smells.  This morning was no different, and as we made our rounds, Zena encountered a new patch of morning glory sprawled across the rock.

When I looked online, I found Morning glory is a common name that refers to over 1,000 species of flowering plants in the family Convolvulaceae.  The name comes from how most morning glory flowers unfurl into full bloom in the early morning.  The flowers usually start to fade a few hours before the corolla begins to display visible curling.  The plants prefer full solar exposure throughout the day, and a well-balanced supply of moisture throughout the growing season (mesic soil).  A few morning glory species are instead night-blooming flowers.  Species such as hedge bindweed (Calystegia sepium), common morning glory (Ipomoea purpurea), and blue morning glory (Ipomoea indica) are considered invasive in parts of the US.  As of 2021, most non-native species of Ipomoea are illegal to cultivate, possess, and sell in the US state of Arizona.  Before January 4, 2020, this ban applied to all native species as well.  The ban is in response to some species of Convolvulaceae causing problems in crops, especially cotton.  Ipomoea aquatica is considered a federal noxious weed, although Texas has acknowledged its status as a vegetable and allow it to be grown.

The species of Morning glory Zena encountered at the park appears to be Heavenly Blue (Ipomoea tricolor).  This is an herbaceous annual or perennial twining vine that uses trees to reach the sun (liana) that is native to Mexico and Central America.  The plant flourishes in full sun and grows to 7 to 13 feet (2 to 4 m) tall.  The Heavenly Blue flowers are trumpet-shaped, 2 to 4 inches (4 to 9 cm) in diameter and are a vivid sky blue with a white and yellow throat.  The heart shaped leaves are spirally arranged, and 1 to 3 inches (3 to 7 cm) long.  This is a fast-growing, self-seeding variety that blooms from early summer into fall in temperate zones.  The variety thrives best in warmer climates, but any location with full sun will allow the plant to reach its full potential.  The species is deer-resistant variety as well as pest and disease-resistant.  Along with the brightly colored flowers, this makes the low-maintenance perfect for “plant and forget” use at the park.  Heavenly blue, and many other species of morning glory, contain d-lysergic acid amide (LSA), also known as ergine.

Thoughts:  I was surprised to find the presence of ergine in morning glory can be toxic to dogs, cats, and humans.  This is a psycho active substance and the seeds of Heavenly blue and Christmas vine (Turbina corymbosa) are used as psychedelics, producing an effect like LSD when taken in large doses (100’s of seeds).  Though the chemical LSA is illegal in some countries, the seeds are found in gardening stores.  Some claim seeds from commercial sources can be coated in methylmercury (illegal in the US and UK) or a pesticide to keep humans from ingesting them for the high.  While this is sometimes considered an urban myth, I would not want to test that theory.  It may end up like the Candy Man legend.  Act for all.  Change is coming and it starts with you.