Flower profile

Beach morning-glory

Ipomoea imperati

Native in the lower 48

Beach morning-glory is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 2 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in April–November.

10states

2of our state lists

5,619U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Alabama, South Carolina

Quick look

Ipomoea imperati, the beach morning-glory, is a species of flowering plant in the family Convolvulaceae. Like Ipomoea pes-caprae, its seeds disperse by floating in seawater. It has been found on the sandy shores of every continent except Antarctica.
From Wikipedia's article Ipomoea imperati, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Convolvulaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) / a vine with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 10 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to Alabama and South Carolina. ^NatureServe
In Alabama, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–October. ^iNaturalist
In South Carolina, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–October. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 677 research-grade sightings of it in Alabama, ranking #86 among the 111 flowers on our Alabama list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 640 research-grade sightings of it in South Carolina, ranking #46 among the 111 flowers on our South Carolina list. ^iNaturalist

Beach morning-glory gift ideas

Handmade beach morning-glory gifts from independent makers.

🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.

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Beach morning-glory art print
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Beach morning-glory greeting card
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Beach morning-glory mug
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Beach morning-glory earrings
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Beach morning-glory embroidery pattern
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Beach morning-glory sticker
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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (748 records)

Bloom time in each of our 2 states

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Alabama	Native	May–October	677
South Carolina	Native	June–October	640

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: G5 Secure worldwide. ^NatureServe
Alabama: No list Alabama has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Alabama ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Alabama.
South Carolina: No list South Carolina has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's South Carolina ranks instead. NatureServe: S3, vulnerable in South Carolina.
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: NC (S2). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Please leave it where it grows

Please don't pick or dig this flower: NatureServe ranks it S3 in South Carolina. ^NatureServe

Can you eat it?

For peoplePoisonous to people

NC State Extension lists it as poisonous to humans (severity: low). Symptoms they list: “Vomiting, large amounts of seeds may cause hallucinations” ^{NC State Extension}

For petsToxic to dogs, cats and horses

ASPCA's entry “Morning Glory” (Ipomoea spp), which covers the whole genus, lists it as toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Signs include: Vomiting, large amounts of seeds may cause… ^ASPCA

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records beach morning-glory in 10 states.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas.

Alabama counties with USDA records: Baldwin, Mobile.

South Carolina counties with USDA records: Beaufort, Charleston, Georgetown.

More Alabama flowers

Wild potato vine

Ipomoea pandurata

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🌼 Blooms in AL: May–September

Hairy cluster-vine

Jacquemontia tamnifolia

Native

🌼 Blooms in AL: July–October

American beautyberry

Callicarpa americana

Native

🌼 Blooms in AL: May–July

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile IPIM.
iNaturalist, Ipomoea imperati: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Ipomoea imperati (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Alabama: Alabama noxious weeds (Ala. Admin. Code r. 80-10-14-.04).
South Carolina: South Carolina State Plant Pest List, plants (S.C. Code Regs. 27-135; Clemson Dept. of Plant Industry).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Ipomoea imperati (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension; ASPCA.
Photo: Bobby McCabe via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.