Urban Species Study

Ornithologists of the Max-Planck-Society demonstrate that urban birds are more resistant to acute stress than forest dwelling birds

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Furry animals at work

This little guy could have fit in the palm of your hand.

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365 Urban Species. #245: Ivy Leaf Morning Glory

Photos by urbpan. Location: Landscaping at the Jamaicaway onramp, Olmsted Park, Boston.
Urban species #245: Ivy leaf morning glory Ipomoea hederacea

Of the many members of the morning glory family found in cities, the ivy-leaf morning glory is perhaps the most attractive. Its flowers are smaller than typical cultivated varieties, and their lovely blue color shames the pale white blossoms of bindweeds. The three-lobed leaves make the whole plant rather interesting to look at. In North America, it can be found in all the eastern states and is beginning to become more common in western states as well. A native to tropical America, it is considered moderately invasive. Like other morning glories, it is a climber, and in the city is often seen on chain link fences. It may also grow in waste areas and roadsides.

Morning glories are so named because they bloom early in the day. The blossoms are visited by a few species of bees and beetles. The seeds of ivy leaf morning glories are only rarely used as food by certain ground birds, and even deer are reluctant to feed on the foliage. It is, however, fed on by insects, and is a primary food for certain species of tortoise beetles. The plant can self-fertilize, but when cross-fertilized with the help of pollinating insects, the resulting generation is more resistant to herbivorous insects.


Location: Parson's Street, Brighton.