Spiny moonflower

Family: Convolvulaceae. Native to: tropical America.

Herbaceous, strongly branching vine, over 3 m in height, with shoots up to b m long, bearing large leaves that are heart-shaped at the lower part and three-lobed on the upper parts of the shoots, which form a water- and light-impermeable cover. In the open ground it is often grown for its showy, pleasantly fragrant, large (up to 10 cm) white flowers, which, like magical lanterns, bloom at night and wither with the first rays of the sun; in cloudy weather they remain open all day. Flowering time: from July - August and until the first frosts. Introduced into cultivation since 1773.