Morning Glories: We have three species of morning glories on Kiawah. The common or tall morning glory with heart-shaped leaves has flowers that range in color from purple, blue, red, and white to variegated. The fiddle leaf( or dune) morning glory has primarily white flowers and is found prominently on dunes and beaches, and the saltmarsh or arrow-leaf morning glory exhibits deep pink flowers. These morning glories twist open, unraveling very early in the morning and begin fading or wilting by midday. Pollinators include bees, butterflies, moths, and even hummingbirds.
A few species of morning glories( moonflowers) bloom at night, but these are not found on our Island. You may have heard that some species of morning glories have medicinal properties and have been used historically as laxatives, diuretics, and as a treatment for parasites. Seeds of some species contain small amounts of a hallucinogenic compound similar to LSD— but not the species found on Kiawah.
Other examples of flowers that open in the morning, bloom for only one day, and close at night are the beautiful swamp or rose mallow and the seashore or saltmarsh mallow. Both look similar to their larger flowered cousin, the hibiscus, and also attract hummingbirds and butterflies. These wetland perennials emerge in spring along the edges of our marshes and ponds and bloom from late spring through fall. Another flower, often overlooked, is the small blue“ whitemouth dayflower”( above right) found in the backdunes and beside bike paths. The common dandelion( and we have some on Kiawah) opens its flowers in the morning after the sun comes up and closes them in the evening.
Flowers of the Night Evening Primroses: The evening primroses
( left) are common spreading dune plants having bright yellow flowers that are one to three inches wide. They bloom from April to October, and most have flowers opening around 5:00 p. m. to close by noon the next day. Evening primroses are pollinated by insects especially suited for nighttime foraging, such as moths and certain species of bees. A number of the evening primrose species have been used in the past to treat sore throats, skin conditions, and eye diseases. Yucca: Night blooming flowers are usually white or light colored, fragrant and pollinated by moths or bats. An example of this is a plant that frequents our dunes, the yucca or Spanish bayonet. One of the most studied and interesting characteristics of these plants is their relationship with a species of the small white moth commonly called the“ yucca moth”( genus Tegeticula yuccasella). Yucca species solely depend on these moths for pollination, and the moth depends on the yucca. The flowers open at night and close during the day providing a protected location for the moths to mate.
When the flowers open again at night the female moth will fly to other flowers carrying pollen and depositing eggs in developing yucca fruits. She knows exactly how much pollen to carry and how many eggs to deposit on the flowers. She even senses if another female moth has deposited eggs on a flower and will look for another to place her own eggs.
When the eggs hatch, the larvae will feast on yucca seeds and fruit and then cocoon in the ground over winter. Adult yucca moths live only a few days and don’ t eat. They are so specialized that the female has tentacles around her mouth to help carry pollen and does not have a long tongue characteristic of other pollinators such as butterflies and moths. NK
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