the.com/morning glory
a flower that blooms at dawn, dies by noon, and still wins the day
means A climbing vine (genus Ipomoea and relatives) whose trumpet-shaped flowers open in the early morning and wither within a day; also used loosely for a short-lived burst of energy or success.
from A plain English compound—"morning" plus "glory"—naming exactly what the plant does: unfurl its glory at morning. English speakers have called these climbing flowers "morning glories" since at least the 19th century. "Glory" here carries its sense of radiant splendor, from Latin gloria; the name simply pairs the time of opening with the showiness of the bloom.
- daily lifespan
- each bloom opens and dies within a single day
- toxic seeds
- seeds contain a natural LSD-like compound
- climbing speed
- vines twist counterclockwise and grow inches daily
- naval slang
- name borrowed by sailors for sudden squalls
- aztec ritual
- used by priests as a sacred hallucinogen
ipomea purga — mexican plant species whose seeds were used ritually by aztecs and contain lysergic acid compounds
heavenly blue morning glory — ornamental variety (ipomoea tricolor) commonly grown in gardens, produces blue flowers that close by afternoon