Yates Zero Tough Heavy Duty Weedkiller - Ready to Use
Extremely effective at controlling the toughest, hard-to-kill and invasive weeds and grasses (such as ivy, gorse & bamboo) - roots and all.
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Ipomoea spp.
Blue Morning Glory (Ipomoea indica)
What is Morning Glory?
Morning Glories are a group of climbing and creeping vines, that share similar climbing habits and trumpet-shaped flowers. The problem child of the family is Blue Morning Glory (Ipomoea indica), a destructive invasive species in NZ. Blue morning glory prefers full sun, so it climbs vigorously to the top of the tree canopy to seek sunlight. As it twines upwards, it forms a dense smothering blanket that covers and kills other plants and trees underneath it.
Blue Morning Glory (Ipomoea indica)
How to Identify Morning Glory
Mostly found in frost-free regions of the North Island, blue morning glory thrives in moist, disturbed soil. Most flowers are produced during the warmer months, but it can flower at any time of year. Flowers are trumpet-shaped and about 7-10cm across, in deep bluey-purple with a pink throat.
Leaves are light green, large and heart shaped, often with three distinct lobes. Leaves and stems are hairy-textured.
Blue morning glory is a perennial, that forms a deep fibrous system of roots. It spreads mostly by stem growth and green waste dumping (it can quickly regenerate from tiny scraps).
Purple Morning Glory (Ipomoea purpurea)
Related Purple Morning Glory (Ipomoea purpurea) looks similar but isn’t as rampant. You can tell the difference by the size of the flowers: purple morning glory flowers are smaller (3-7cm across). Flower colour varies between blue, violet and purple, often with a white or pink centre. Another difference is that purple morning glory is an annual, that forms round seed capsules; in contrast blue morning glory rarely produces seeds in NZ.
Morning glory and bindweed species are also related; they’re both members of the wider Convolvulaceae family, that share an aggressive climbing habit. Great Bindweed (Calystegia silvatica) and Field Bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis) are introduced weeds with white or pink-tinged flowers, while Convolvulus/Pink Bindweed (Convolvulus sepium subsp. roseata) has pink flowers with white stripes.
Blue Morning Glory (Ipomoea indica)
How to Control Morning Glory
Manual control by digging out roots is difficult, because any small scraps of root that get left behind will resprout. Full control often requires cutting back stems on an ongoing basis.
Yates Zero Tough Heavy Duty Weedkiller is extremely effective at controlling morning glory, roots and all. It's purpose-designed to kill the toughest, most invasive weeds and grasses (like ivy, gorse & bamboo).
When morning glory is climbing on a desirable tree or shrub that you don't want to harm, the easiest control method is to carefully apply Yates Zero Tough Heavy Duty Weedkiller to the leaves and freshly cut stumps with a small brush. Make sure to wear waterproof gloves to do this job safely.
Purple Morning Glory (Ipomoea purpurea)
Areas Affected
- Gardens
- Urban Waste Ground
- Scrubland and Regenerating Bush
- Wetland Borders
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