Is there a plant more inspiring than the common Morning Glory?
A seemingly fragile thing, it is persistent and pervasive.
A climbing vine, it is resilient and seemingly indestructible.
And for all of that, a single flower will bloom in the morning, and then fade by the end of the day.
A one hit wonder, if you will.
The Morning Glory is the common name for over a thousand species of flowering plant.
A thousand species!
One of those species, the common bindweed, many gardeners may know all too well.
Although pretty with its little pink flowers, it will crowd out, blanket and smother other plants.
Morning Glorys are fast growers, and twine elegantly and beautifully around whatever means they have available, be it trellis, arbour, or even another plant.
They are easy keepers, easy to grow, and tolerate poor, dry soils.
Indeed, its habitats are listed as scrub and waste places, stream banks, disturbed or waste areas.
But do not be fooled by the delicateness of its petals.
First discovered in Asia, it was used for medicinal purposes. Its seeds apparently have a laxative property.
The seeds of some species contain psychedelic and hallucinogenic properties, similar to LSD, and were used by some ancient cultures for that very reason.
While they don’t like the frost, any climate the slightest bit warmer will encourage its voracious growth.
It likes the sun and the heat.
And not too much fertilizer (that explains why mine didn’t do so well in a half topsoil/half compost planter on the deck).
It seems to be one of those plants that thrives in the worst of situations.
And yet still prevails.
This plant has a lesson for us all.
No matter what our circumstances, no matter what our situation, resilience and determination and persistence will get us through.
It will save the day and we will prevail.
Just like the beautiful Morning Glory.