Morning Glory Convovulus
Thanks to its brightly colored, funnel-shaped flowers, this old-fashioned European native is often confused with morning glory (Ipomoea tricolor), a twining vine of the tropics. Dwarf morning glory, however, doesn't climb and its flowers stay open all day, unlike those of its familiar relative. A traditional (if somewhat forgotten) bedding plant, it is excellent for massing, edging, hanging baskets, or containers. Forms a bushy, slightly trailing mound to 12-16 inches high and 2 feet wide, with narrow, dark green leaves to 1 inches long. Blooms profusely in summer, covering itself with striking, 1- to 2 inches-wide flowers in royal blue, red, pink, or white, all with a yellow-and-white starburst pattern in the throat.