I occasionally walk by a house with two spectacular summer vines. One, unknown to me but identified by the wonderful Seek phone app, turned out to be hyacinth bean (Lablab purpureus). We're now trying to grow that indoors - long shot, but a nice winter project.
The other I assumed to be an Ipomoea tricolor, though (to me) prettier than any other I've seen in person or in seed catalogues. Pink and magenta over white, but an especially interesting arrangement. Sorry; I waited too long to get pictures - maybe next year.
I never saw anyone at the home, and didn't want to knock or leave a note. But I picked up a few loose seeds and pods from the sidewalk, and will plant them next spring. Photo attached; the middle three seeds may be from something else.
Google Images didn't show any I. tricolor seed pods this shape, though it seems that the elongated seeds (new to me) are not unusual. Google Lens AI says:
"The image shows seeds and seed pods from a plant. The larger, ribbed pods appear to be from a plant in the genus Castanopsis ... The smaller, dark seeds are similar to those of morning glory (Ipomoea)."
Also, the Wikipedia article on Ipomoea shows a picture of a slightly less-elongated pod for another species, I. orizabensis. But I haven't found a photo of a similar tricolored flower.
Have others here seen tricolored morning glory seed pods like this? Maybe we'll just grow the collected seeds and enjoy whatever emerges.
Thanks!
This message was edited Oct 30, 2025 7:39 PM
