Bought a morning glory, now what do I do?

Okay, I have wanted a morning glory for a while. My parents had them growing up. I saw a gorgeous one today so I decided to buy it (yes it was impulse). Now I am not sure what to do with it or how to take care of it. It is in a plastic pot with a two and a half foot support. Here is what I want to know:
Do I leave it in the pot?
Do I plant it in the garden (I get mostly full sun everywhere except a couple of places that get morning to noon sun)?
What pests/diseases do I need to look out for?
Will it survive over winter? If not, what should I do?

I am a total idiot when it comes to morning glories and other vines so I need some expert help!
Thanks

Here is another view. I also want to know if anyone can identify what kind of morning glory it is. Thanks

I have no idea what kind it is, but it doesn't look like any if the morning glories I know.
Of course, I don't know every plant, so I am afraid I can't help you.
The shape of the flowers and the leaves are very different, but it is very pretty.
Josephine.

It looks like Thunbergia battiscombei. http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/38378/index.html

They're not hardy in the DFW area though. I just bought one too but I'll containerize it.

Sandi, you're right. It's thunbergia battiscombei.

There is a morning glory forum and they may be able to help you there.

Thanks for the ID. I will go ask over in the morning glory forum and see if they know about cold hardiness here and what I should do with it. Thanks again.

Doodlebug-
HI
Not sure where Harker Heights is, but I've grown the battiscombei for years, and it returns for me each year. You are in the same zone as I am, so would think it would return from the roots, for you, too.

Mine is planted in a bed facing due south. It is a bed I don't water much, except for the hottest/driest parts of summer, and we do not have a sprinkler system.

It really seems to like it there, and in fact, when it is REALLY hot, and everything else is choking, that is when my rock rose, crepe myrtles and my T. battiscombei are just really getting going.

"They" sell it as a vine, and it does like to get lanky and crawly, but really performs best as a a scrambler. Mine is planted like any regular perennial (in the center, or in the border of a bed, and not placed at the back- tacked to a trellis). It's natural habit it to grow upright until it gets about 18 inches, then falls and begins to scramble through the other plants. I think it looks really nice like that.

If you want it to go straight up, you'll have to fight it's normal nature to scramble. You'll have to continully tack it back up, encourage it to got where you want it to. They don't behave like morning glories, which climb straight up, without any encouragement.

If you are nervous about them coming back, just try some cuttings in summer. In warm weather and when they are growing really well, the cuttings root easily. If you end up with rooted backups, you won't worry so much about the winter.

Also, be sure it gets a dry winter, not a wet winter. Don't water it at all during the winter(let it get only what natural rainfall you get), and if you have a sprinkler system or really wet winters, you may want to just add some pea gravel and sand, and mix it in around the roots when you plant it, so it will get good drainage, and not rot from cold wet roots in winter...
-T

Seedpicker, I had heard that it wasn't very hardy here. Nice to hear that yours comes back. I'll try your method of doing cuttings once mine gets going.

Sandi-
I think it REALLY depends upon what time of year you plant it, and WHERE you plant it.

If you just stick it in our clay/alkaline, and then water it to death, and it doesn't get enough sun...yes, it probably won't live through the winter, lol...

If you plant it in Spring, put it in a lot of sun, and don't jam-pack the soil back around it when you plant it, it should be fine.

Main thing is not letting it get soggy roots, especially in winter.

Wow this is great information thanks everyone.

Hello, Texas-Doodlebug, I just wanted to let you know that the Morning Glory family is; ( Ipomoea ) http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/53063/index.html

and the plant you have is from the family; ( Acanthaceae ) so they are not the same kind of plant. http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/38378/index.html

I hope you don't mind my pointing that out.

Josephine.

Certainly don't mind if you point that out. Cause as I said, I don't have a clue about vines of any type. So is the one I have still called a "morning glory" or is it called something else? I saw the names...Blue Boy, Blue Glory, Clock Vine at the top of the plantfile link.

I would say that as it refers to the type of plant, your plant is not a Morning Glory,
however, some people may call it by that name, since popular names vary greatly.
I have never had experience with that plant, so I don't know if some people call it a morning glory, or something else.
May be Sand-Tex, Calalily, or Seedpicker, could enlighten us on the popular name, since they have experience with the plant.
Josephine.

Josephine-the botanical name is thunbergia battiscombei.

It is just ONE of the many great species of thunbergia. It is not in the morning glory family at all, but does have a pretty, colorful
trumpet-shaped bloom , like mgs...
-T

You guys and gals are so awesome.

Well at least I know why my T. battiscombei was not doing well.
I have now taken them out of the hanging baskets and put them in the border. I worked the soil up really well, added some compost and watered them in. They had lots of nice, fat white roots and more growth buds, so hopefully they will take off. I'm so glad you posted the info Taylor, thanks!!!

You are welcome Susie-Q! '0)
-T