Flowers That Bloom In The Morning

Early mornings in the garden are made better when flowers accompany the hour. Different types of flowers bloom at various times throughout the day. While many flowers open in late morning and afternoon, several flowers bloom in the earliest hours of the morning and remain open into afternoons or evenings. Several morning bloomers produce flowers that last for only a single day before they fade away.

Morning glory (Ipomoea tricolor) draws its name from its habit of opening in early morning. Each funnel-shaped flower opens only once and lasts a single day. In the early afternoon, the flowers wilt and fade, only to be replaced by more the next day. Blooming begins midsummer and continues into late fall or until the first frost. Although the most common colors are blue and purple, morning glories may have white, light pink and magenta flowers. This annual vine thrives with minimal care, but it can become invasive if not properly maintained.

The gazania daisy (Gazania spp.) produces stunning orange, yellow and pink flowers that open in the early morning on sunny days and close again at night. They repeat the process every day until the flower withers. If the day is cloudy, gazania flowers open only partially. In cooler areas, gazania daisy begins to bloom in the spring and continues into the fall, while blooming continues year-round in warmer climates. This morning bloomer is hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 8b through 11.

The Jamaican fever plant (Tribulus cistoides) blooms in summer. Its five-petaled yellow flowers open as the sun rises and close again at sunset. During the day, the flowers face the sun and adjust their position to follow the sun across the sky. Also referred to as puncture vine, Jamaican fever plant bears sharp spiny fruits once the flowers die. Hardy in USDA zones 7 through 10, this vine-like plant can become invasive in a short period of time if the fruits are allowed to spread.

Commonly referred to as flower-of-an-hour, the Venice mallow (Hibiscus trionum) grows and spreads quickly with minimal care. Blooming begins in the early summer and continues into early fall with showers of vibrant pink, yellow and white flowers. On a sunny day, venice mallow blossoms open in the morning and close at night, lasting for only one day before they wilt and fade away. The Venice mallow is a tender, short-lived perennial in USDA zones 10 and 11.

The state flower of California, California poppy (Eschscholzia californica) blooms from early spring into early summer. Though this plant is normally an annual, some variations are short-lived perennials in USDA zones 8 through 10. California poppies bloom in shades of reddish-orange to orange-yellow, with some cultivars offering white, pink, red, lilac and purple blooms. Flowers open in the morning and close again at night or when clouds fill the sky. California poppies self-seed readily and can be invasive in some areas.