Hi, Suzie, I'm attaching a link to photos of the seeds, pods, flowers, etc., so you can better ID them. My moonflower vine is still flowering, but I've also left the seed pods on it until they turn brown. Mine have self-sowed every year, but not much, so that it's not as invasive as morning glories. I love the moonflower for my night flying sphinx moths.

Susan

Here is a link that might be useful: Moonflower Vine (Ipomaea alba)

Suzie,

Since it is likely Susan's link answered all your questions, I'll just add that I let my moonflower seed pods dry on the vine and then I harvest about half and leave the other half to self-sow. My moonflowers act just like Susan's in that they self sow lightly here and there but don't pop up all over the place like the more invasive morning glories. After the self-sown seedlings sprout in springtime, I have the collected seed to fill in any 'holes' in the fenceline where moonflowers didn't sprouts.

We have ton of sphinx moths here all the time and they love the night-blooming daturas, four o'clocks and moonflowers. This week I've seen them out in late afternoon or early evening visiting the Laura Bush petunias and brugmansias.

I'm glad I still have lots in bloom for the night moths, and we also still have hummers visiting the flowers and the feeders too.

Dawn

Susan and Dawn,
Thank you both! That is great to know. I did see a sphinx moth on the moonflowers one evening and even got a few pictures. Both the moonflowers and the cardinal vine stopped flowering when we had that cold snap early this month, although everything else flower-wise is still blooming like crazy. The impatiens are prettier now than they've been all summer!

Suzie

I concur with you, Suzie and Dawn. I am getting much prettier flowers now than when it was so terribly hot and humid here. Even some of my real heat lovers look so much better. It's like it got too hot for them even. I hope it lasts for awhile!

Dawn, I am still seeing Monarchs in the garden. I had a few late caterpillars, and still have one chrysalis left to eclose. Are you still seeing them?

Susan

Suzie, I hope it lasts a while too. My flowers have looked better in Sept. and Oct. than they did in July and August.

Susan, We have them all....monarchs, sulphurs, all kinds of Swallowtails, and oodles of other ones I haven't identified, and at night there's plenty of moths. This is the best "fall butterfly season" we've had in ages, and I'm loving it. There's also been lots of dragonflies around all week.

For us, it may slow down late next week. I think the long-range forecast shows a night late next week dipping down into the upper 30s or lower 40s.

This week the number of large grasshoppers has dropped significantly. Finally!

Dawn

when do moonflowers bloom in nashville TN?

Emily,
I don't know a lot about them because last year was the first year I planted them, but here at our place in central Oklahoma they did bloom kind of late in the summer. I think it was toward the middle or end of July when they finally bloomed. But they're worth the wait!

Suzie

I agree they are well worth the wait, and they generally don't start blooming here in southern OK until mid- to late-July.

They don't bloom until after the summer solstice because their blooming is triggered by a shortening day length.

Dawn