How to Grow Hawaiian Blue
Hawaiian Blue
Ipomoea indica
vineHawaiian Blue is a tropical morning glory vine with stunning deep blue flowers and heart-shaped foliage. It's a vigorous climber that produces abundant blooms throughout the warm season, making it an excellent choice for trellises, arbors, and fences. This tender perennial is prized for its ornamental flowers and lush vegetative growth.
When should you plant Hawaiian Blue in your zone?
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Example Hawaiian Blue timeline · Pittsburgh, PA (Zone 6b)
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Plant Hawaiian Blue
Around Apr 17Near Pittsburgh's average last spring frost.
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Tend & protect
Late spring–summerWatering, feeding, and pest-watch reminders.
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Harvest Hawaiian Blue
Around Jun 16≈ 60 days after planting
Sample dates for Pittsburgh, PA. Sign up to get exact Hawaiian Blue dates for your own zip code.
Growing Conditions
Soil
Growing Zones
Find your zone →Thrives in zones 9b-11; can be grown as an annual in zones 8-9 with protection
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Seedling
2-3 weeksSmall plants with 2-4 true leaves; delicate but growing rapidly
Keep soil moist, provide bright indirect light, maintain warm temperatures (70-80°F), thin seedlings to prevent overcrowding
Flowering
8-12 weeks or longer with proper careDeep blue flowers appear at leaf axils; blooms open in morning and close by afternoon
Maintain consistent watering, apply balanced fertilizer every 2-3 weeks, deadhead spent flowers to encourage more blooms, ensure adequate sunlight
Mature Vine
Throughout growing seasonFully established vigorous vine with dense foliage and continuous flower production
Prune to manage size and shape, maintain support structures, fertilize regularly during bloom season, watch for pest activity
Dormancy/Winter
3-4 months or until frostVine slows growth or dies back; minimal flowering; in frost zones, vines are killed by freezing temperatures
Reduce watering, cease fertilizing, protect from frost if possible, prune dead wood in spring, dig up tubers in cold zones for storage if desired
Companion Planting
Plan your garden →Plant with:
Avoid planting near:
Common Pests
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Spray with insecticidal soap, neem oil, or horticultural oil; introduce beneficial insects like ladybugs; remove affected foliage
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Increase humidity, spray with water to dislodge, apply neem oil or miticide if severe, prune heavily infested growth
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and
Hand-pick visible caterpillars, use Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), apply neem oil, encourage natural predators
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Spray with horticultural oil, apply insecticidal soap, hand-scrape if only a few present, prune heavily infested stems
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Isolate infected plants, spray with insecticidal soap or neem oil, use alcohol-soaked cotton swabs on visible clusters
Uses
Vibrant Garden Accent
OrnamentalHawaiian Blue vines are stunning vertical elements in tropical and subtropical gardens, perfect for creating living screens, softening hard structures, and adding vibrant blue color to landscapes. The abundant flowers attract pollinators and hummingbirds. [source]
Pollinator Attraction
WildlifeThe deep blue flowers are highly attractive to bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, making it an excellent plant for supporting pollinator populations in your garden ecosystem. [source]
Privacy and Shade
HouseholdFast-growing vines quickly cover trellises, arbors, fences, and pergolas, providing natural privacy screens and creating dappled shade while adding aesthetic beauty with continuous blue blooms. [source]
Traditional Folk Use
MedicinalIn some traditional medicine systems, particularly in Hawaii and other tropical regions, Ipomoea species have been used for various remedies, though scientific evidence is limited and the plant should be used cautiously. [source]
Cut Flower Arrangements
CraftThe beautiful blue flowers can be used in fresh floral arrangements, though they have a short vase life, opening in the morning and closing by evening. Best enjoyed fresh from the garden or used in same-day arrangements. [source]
This is not medical advice. LizPlants is not a medical resource. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before using plants medicinally.
Harvest Tips
Hawaiian Blue is grown for ornamental flowers rather than harvest in the traditional sense. Enjoy blooms throughout the season by ensuring proper care. Flowers open in early morning (typically 6-9 AM) and close by afternoon. Deadhead spent flowers regularly to promote continuous blooming. In regions where the plant dies back annually, you can collect seed pods in late fall before the first frost for replanting.
Fun Facts
- 🌱 Hawaiian Blue flowers open fresh each morning and close by afternoon, a behavior called nyctinasty, which protects the delicate petals from evening dew and daytime heat stress.
- 🌱 Despite the common name 'Hawaiian Blue,' Ipomoea indica is native to tropical Asia and was likely naturalized in Hawaii, where it has become a beloved ornamental plant.
- 🌱 The plant produces tuberous underground roots in some conditions, which can be dug and stored over winter in frost zones, allowing gardeners to regrow the vine from the same root system the following season.
Gardening Terms
New to gardening? Learn about terms used in this guide:
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