Product Description
Moonflower is an annual flowering vine, a member of the Morning Glory family, that produces huge, 6-8-inch-diameter, snow-white blossoms with a heavy fragrance in the evening. The vines grow 15-20 feet in a season and can tolerate full sun or partial shade. These Heirloom Moonflower Seeds are part of The Seeds That Built America collection by Harvesting History and are made in the USA!
Planting and Care
Moonflowers should be planted in late spring or early summer, when the soil has warmed, at a depth of 1/2 inch and spaced 6 inches apart. The seeds can be scored and soaked for 24 hours before planting to hasten germination, which takes place in 10-14 days. Moonflowers make great container plants. Three plants per 10-inch pot are optimal. Plants reach maturity in 30-45 days.
Inspiration
The Moonflower plant is native to Central America, where it often climbs the trunks of the Panama Rubber Tree. The sap of the Moonflower is used in the vulcanization of the latex of the Panama Rubber Tree to produce rubber. As early as 1600 BC, the Olmecs, a Native Central American culture, produced rubber balls for their Mesoamerican ballgames using this vulcanization process. The Moonflower was introduced into American gardens during the 1700s.
Eighteenth-century Williamsburg was the home of many ardent gardeners and plant collectors who often exchanged seeds with fellow enthusiasts in Great Britain. Gardeners obtained their seeds from store merchants or from traveling seedsmen. Today, the Colonial Williamsburg seed program continues the tradition by offering many varieties grown in the 18th century.
