Mile-a-minute vine (Ipomoea cairica)
Care, watering, light and tips for Mile-a-minute vine on Floravia.
Quick facts
- Family: Convolvulaceae
- Difficulty: Easy to care for
- Watering: every 3 days
- Light: Partial shade
- Temperature: 10–30 °C
- Toxicity: Toxic to pets
About Mile-a-minute vine
Ipomoea cairica, commonly known as Cairo morning glory or five-lobed morning glory, is a vigorous and fast-growing perennial vine, ideal for covering pergolas, fences, or walls. Its attractive lavender or purple trumpet-shaped flowers, often with a darker center, and deeply lobed leaves, give it an exotic and lush appearance in tropical and subtropical gardens.
Native range
Southern Africa
Care tips
It prefers full sun exposure for abundant flowering, though it tolerates partial shade. It requires regular watering, keeping the substrate moist but not waterlogged, especially in hot and dry climates. It adapts to a wide range of soils but prefers well-drained and organically rich ones. A common mistake is not providing adequate support, as it is a very climbing vine that can become invasive if not controlled.
How to save a dying Mile-a-minute vine
- Warning signs
- Yellow or wilting leaves, soft stems, no flowering.
- First aid
- Check soil moisture, repot if waterlogged, move to partial shade.
- What kills it
- Overwatering and lack of direct light. Does not tolerate waterlogging.
- Can it be saved?
- Yes, it's resilient. Act quickly by correcting watering and sun exposure.