September Birth Flower ... The Morning Glory, which has a long and rich history

The month of September has two birth flowers, Asters and morning glories and both bring vibrancy to the garden as summer fades and Autumn/fall arrives. Their bright colours are a welcome sight. This post gives details about Morning Glories, the flower's meanings and symbolism. You can read about Asters on my previous post here.

Morning glory plants are known as fast-growing vines with a somewhat unique daily schedule, because the flowers open in the morning and close up by the afternoon!

The flower’s blue and purple colours are the most recognizable, but morning glories also appear in a range of pinks, reds, and whites. The flowers are trumpet-shaped, with five large petals arranged flat around the flower head, making them quite attractive to butterflies and hummingbirds.

Please be aware that Morning glory vines and flowers are toxic and should not be eaten or used for culinary purposes. The seeds of some species are known to contain small amounts of a hallucinogenic substance, too.

Morning Glory Meanings and Symbolism

• Like many vining plants, morning glories have long been associated with love.
• Morning glories have symbolized love that was never returned, but have also been seen as a sign of undying love.
• Each colour holds a different meaning: blue represents enduring love, desire, and power; purple symbolizes grace, wealth, and hopefulness; pink is a sign of gratitude and energy; red means passion and strength; white, like many other flowers, symbolizes purity and innocence.

The Morning Glory in History
The Morning Glory Flower has a long and rich history, full of symbolism and meaning. The flower is native to China, where it has been cultivated for centuries. The Morning Glory Flower is associated with the sun and with new beginnings.

In China, the flower is often given as a gift to celebrate a new baby or a new year. The Morning Glory Flower is also associated with love and marriage. In Chinese culture, the Morning Glory Flower is given as a symbol of love and fidelity. The Morning Glory Flower is also said to represent good luck and fortune.

In the USA Morning Glory Pool is part of Yellowstone National Park’s upper geyser basin. It was named in the 1880s due to its resemblance to the flower.

Artist Georgia O’Keefe, noted as one of the key contributors to the establishment of modern art, painted “Blue Morning Glories” in 1938, which is one of her most popular works.
Words above taken from here and here

I hope you found the above an interesting read. You may also like to read this post about 'Some Foods In Season During September' which also has some recipe suggestions - please see here

I do like the Pork and Apple Meatballs recipe, it is tasty served with savoy cabbage and a lower carb mash - more details here

Dear reader, you will find a variety of articles and recipe ideas within this blog, and not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic (more about this here) and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter. If you have any concerns about your health, it is always advisable to consult your doctor or health care team.

All the best Jan