Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Ground Morning Glory
Ground Morning Glory is a low, trailing evergreen groundcover with soft gray-green leaves and lavender-blue flowers from spring into fall. It stays about a foot tall and spreads 2 to 3 feet, at a moderate pace. It covers small beds and slopes, trails over walls and spills from pots. Give it full sun to light shade and soil that drains well.
Best for: small beds and slopes, trailing over walls, spilling from pots, and rock gardens in the sun.
It forms a low mat about a foot tall and 2 to 3 feet wide. Plant it 2 to 4 feet apart to cover a small bed or a sunny slope.
The trailing stems spill over walls, raised beds and the edges of pots. In a pot, use fast-draining soil and let it dry between waterings.
Lavender-blue flowers about an inch across cover it from spring into fall. It is a good fit for small beds and rock gardens in the sun.
It does not tolerate wet, poorly drained soil, and it is prone to root rot there. Plant it where water drains away, and let the soil dry between waterings.
- Closer planting2 ft apart, center to center
- Wider groundcover4 ft apart, center to center
Let the soil dry between waterings. It is fairly drought tolerant once rooted, and it rots in wet, poorly drained soil.
Trim it back in winter to keep it dense and not woody. Head back stems any time to keep it in bounds.
Plant it in full sun to light shade. In the sun it blooms from spring into fall.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
Is Ground Morning Glory the same as Convolvulus mauritanicus?
Yes. It is often sold as Convolvulus mauritanicus, and it is now named Convolvulus sabatius.
How big does it get?
It grows as a low, trailing mat about a foot tall and 2 to 3 feet wide.
How far apart should I plant it?
Plant it about 2 to 4 feet apart, center to center. The Spacing tab on this page counts plants for your bed.
When does it bloom?
It blooms from spring into fall, with lavender-blue flowers about an inch across.
How often should I water it?
Let the soil dry between waterings. It is fairly drought tolerant once rooted and does not like wet soil, so water less rather than more.
Does it need full sun?
It grows in full sun to light shade. Plant it in the sun for flowers from spring into fall.
Will it work on a slope?
Yes. It is used as a groundcover on sunny slopes and banks, where its trailing stems spread over the soil.
When should I trim it?
Trim it back in winter to keep it from getting woody. You can head back the stems any time to keep its spread in check.
How cold hardy is it?
Most ratings put it at about 15°F, with a range of 10 to 20°F.
Ground Morning Glory for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Ground Morning Glory is a trailing groundcover from northwestern Africa. It is often sold as Convolvulus mauritanicus and is now named Convolvulus sabatius. It blooms lavender-blue from spring into fall, and this page covers its size, spacing, water, drainage and winter trimming.
Sourced from trusted Arizona growers and delivered directly to your door, job site, or property. We deliver across the Valley and to nearby towns, and quote delivery anywhere else in Arizona.
What is Ground Morning Glory?
It is a low, trailing evergreen with gray-green leaves and lavender-blue flowers. You will often see it sold as Convolvulus mauritanicus.
How big does Ground Morning Glory get?
It stays about a foot tall and spreads 2 to 3 feet wide, growing at a moderate pace.
How far apart do you plant Ground Morning Glory?
Plant it about 2 to 4 feet apart, center to center, for groundcover. The Spacing tab on this page counts plants for your bed.
How often do you water Ground Morning Glory?
Let the soil dry between waterings. Wet, poorly drained soil causes root rot, so plant it where water drains away.
Can Ground Morning Glory grow on a slope?
Yes. It is used as a groundcover on sunny slopes and banks, and it trails over walls.
When do you trim Ground Morning Glory?
Trim it back in winter to keep it from getting woody, and head back stems any time to keep it in bounds.
We deliver across the Valley, from Phoenix, Scottsdale and Mesa out to San Tan Valley, Maricopa and Casa Grande, and up to Prescott, Sedona, Payson and Globe. See delivery areas and rates.