How to Save Moonflower Seeds

Moonflowers are a hard flower to miss. When planted on a fence or trellis, the vines can grow to be 20 feet long, with splashy blooms 5 to 6 inches across. The flowers open in the afternoon and bloom all night long while filling the air with their sweet aroma. Because the blooms are so big, saving seeds from moonflowers is especially easy.

Things You'll Need

• Moonflower blossoms
• Bowl
• Envelope or small paper sack

Instructions

1. Watch for the moonflowers to fade in late summer or early autumn. Eventually, the faded blooms will be replaced with dark purple seed pods.

2. When the seed pods turn brown and begin to crack open, pick them off the vine. Harvest them soon, because if you leave them too long, they will explode and the seeds will be lost. Put the seed pods in a bowl until you're ready to extract the seeds.

3. Open the seed pods with your fingers and extract the small, beige moonflower seeds. Put the seeds in an envelope or a small paper sack and leave them in a cool, dry place until spring.

Tips & Warnings

• If you live in a cold climate with early freezes, or if you're concerned that the seed pods will explode and the seeds will be lost, pinch off the seed pods as soon as they appear, and let them drop into a paper sack. Set the paper sack aside until the pods finish drying.

References

• Moonflower
• Moonflower Seeds
• Ipomoea alba Moonflower Vine