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Convolvulus sabatius (Ground Morning Glory) - A trailing groundcover with a woody base and herbaceous stems that rarely reaches up to 1 foot tall and usually hugs the ground and spreads 3 feet in diameter or better with soft green rounded 1 1/2-inch-long leaves. Light blue funnel-shaped flowers bloom throughout the year in areas with mild winters with flowering heaviest from spring through fall.
Plant in full sun to light shade with well-drained soil and occasional water - tolerates soils with alkaline conditions well and will grow in heavier clay soil so long as it drains and is not over watered. It is hardy to 15 to 20 degrees F and can resprout if tops freeze back; it is also commonly cultivated as an annual in colder areas and is tolerant of near-coastal conditions. Trim back plants in late winter to prevent from getting too woody and to maintain size. A great plant for use as a small ground cover or to fill in gaps between other plants and for use in container plantings and hanging baskets where it can spill over an edge.
Convolvulus sabatius is native to coastal areas below 1000 feet in elevation of Algeria and Morocco in northwestern Africa but also has disjunct populations in Spain and Italy. The name of the genus given to it by Carl Linnaeus in 1753 in his Species Plantarum as the type genus for the morning glory family, the Convolvulaceae. The name comes from the Latin word 'convolvere' a verb meaning to "roll together" or "to wrap" and is in reference to the vining clambering and covering nature of plants in the genus. The specific epithet comes from a region in Italy Vada Sabatia where the plant was first described by Italian botanist and naturalist Domenico Viviani (1772–1840) in 1824. This plant was long known as Convolvulus mauritanicus, which was described from North Africa but this name is now considered to be a synonym. It is also commonly known as Blue Rock Bindweed or Mauritian bindweed. Both this plant and Convolvulus cneorum were winners of the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit in 1993 and we grew both from 1984 up until when we closed our nursery in 2025.
The information displayed on this page about Convolvulus sabatius is based on our research conducted about this plant from books in our nursery library as well as from information that is provided by reliable online resources. We also have included our own observations made about it as it grew in the nursery gardens and other gardens visited, as well how the crops of this plant performed in the containers when we had them in our nursery field. We also include comments received from others and welcome hearing from anyone who has information about this plant, particularly if it includes cultural information aiding others to better grow it.
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