Texas Gardening: September Blooms, 2 by morganc

morganc wrote:
Kbh69 - Moonflowers are great....we save the seeds and plant them every year in pots on the back porch, so they can climb all over the railing. We also put them there so we can enjoy them since they open at night. We can see them out the windows, or while sitting on the back porch.

I read once that you had to "Scarify" the Moonflower seed. Basically put a nick in the hard shell casing. I use my husbands nail clippers to do that...LOL. Then I germinate them on a wet paper towel inside a plastic bag. When they germinate I plant 6 to 8 seeds per pot and let them go to town.

Hummingbird Moths like them too.

I don't see how they can be invasive as they croak in the winter. Maybe if a lot of seeds dropped possibly. But I'm sure I don't collect all the seeds and none have come up in the yard. I always plant them.
But you live north west of Austin and I don't know your weather there. Here, during the hot days I water them twice a day...and I have them in big pots. But they grow LOTS of roots, so I'm always adding compost and peat moss to the pot. I think the roots eat up all the dirt. :-)