Fig-leaved Morning Glory
Ipomea ficifolia
NEMBA: Category 1b
English: Fig-leaved Morning Glory
Afrikaans: Bobbejaantou
Xhosa: Umabope
Zulu: Ikhambilesihlungu, Umkhokha Wehlathi
Misapplied scientific names: Ipomoea indica, Ipomoea purpurea, Ipomoea hederifolia
A vigorous, twining perennial herb, Ipomoea ficifolia—commonly called Fig-leaved Morning Glory or Bobbejaantou—is a climber with deeply lobed, fig-shaped leaves and purplish-pink funnel-shaped flowers.
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Origin: Native to tropical Americas.
Distinguishing features:
Leaves deeply lobed like small fig leaves, 40–150 mm across.
Twining, sparsely hairy stems reaching over 3 m.
Funnel-shaped mauve to purplish-pink flowers.
Overall appearance:
Twining climber or creeper with lobed leaves and daily-opening flowers.
Height:
Climbs or spreads up to 3 m or more.
Width:
Spreads widely over fences, shrubs and ground.
Leaves:
Deeply lobed, fig-leaf shape, bright green, sparsely hairy, 40–150 mm long.
Flowers:
Funnel-shaped; purplish-pink (sometimes mauve), open in the morning, fade by evening; solitary on long stalks.
Flowering season:
Mainly November–May, flowering may occur year-round in warm parts.
Fruits:
Small capsule containing seeds.
Seeds:
Numerous small seeds in each capsule, dispersed by gravity and movement.
Bark/Stems:
Stems hairy, twining, fragile and easily root when touching soil.
Roots:
Root from stems that touch soil; forms dense mats.
Soil type:
Tolerates a wide range, from average to poor, including sandy soils.
Aspect:
Prefers full sun to partial shade.
Ediblity:
Not edible.
Toxicity:
Potentially toxic to native plants via allelopathy; no record of human toxicity reported.
Uses:
Ornamental; attracts gardeners with its flowers, but now widely recognised as invasive.
Ecology:
Climbing and smothering native vegetation; flowers attract bees and butterflies.
Potentially toxic to native plants via allelopathy (plant releases chemicals into the environment that affect the growth, survival, or reproduction of other nearby plants).
Distribution and habitat:
Alien invasive in KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, Eastern and Western Cape; found along roadsides, riverbanks, waste areas, coastal dunes, woodlands, hedgerows.
Derivation of name:
The genus name Ipomoea comes from the Greek words 'ips' meaning 'worm' and 'homoios' meaning 'resembling', referring to the plant's climbing, worm-like stems.
The species name ficifolia is derived from Latin, meaning 'fig-leaved', referring to the deep lobing of its leaves, which resemble those of a fig (Ficus).
Historical aspects:
Previously confused with Ipomoea indica and Ipomoea purpurea, two other invasive morning glories. Correctly distinguished due to leaf shape.
Interesting facts:
Often opens new flowers each morning and fades by evening—fresh blooms daily!
Its stem fragments can re-root easily, making it hard to eradicate.
No natural herbicides registered in SA—control relies on manual removal.
Despite being invasive, it attracts bees and butterflies when in bloom.
Friendly alternatives:
Common name
Scientific Name
Plant type:
Plant type
Plant family:
Convolvulaceae (twining) - Order: Solanales