FNPS Plant Database

Ipomoea microdactyla

wild-potato morning-glory, man-in-the-ground
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS

Nomenclature

Common Name:

wild-potato morning-glory, man-in-the-ground

Synonym(s):

Genus species:

Ipomoea microdactyla

Family:

Convolvulaceae

Plant Specifics

Form:

vine

Size:

Sprawling  and climbinb vine to about 5-10  ft long.

Life Span:

Long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

red to rose

Fruit Color:

Phenology:

Blooms spring to fall.

Noted For:

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Specimen vine.

Considerations:

Availability:

Propagation:

Seed

Light:

Moisture Tolerance:

Always Flooded---------------------------------Extremely Dry

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Somewhat moist, no flooding -to- Not wet but not extremely dry

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray

Soil or Other Substrate:

Soil pH:

likely calcareous

Suitable to Grow In:

USDA zones are based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature.



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Ecology

Wildlife:

Butterflies, Hummingbirds

Skippers and sphynx moths are attracted to the flowers.

Hummingbirds are occasional visitors.

Native Habitats:

pine rocklands

Natural Range in Florida:

Comments:

Ethnobotany:

General Comments:

Rare - listed as endangered by the State of Florida and as imperrilled by the Florida Natural Inventory.

Citations:

Hammer, Roger. (2011). Man-in-the-Ground (blog post). ( https://fnpsblog.blogspot.com/2011/12/man-in-ground.html ). Accessed 2026. Florida Native Plant Society, Gainesville.


Gann, G.D., C.J. Abbott, C.G. Stocking, K.N. Hines, and collaborators. (2001+), Natives For Your Neighborhood. ( https://www.regionalconservation.org/beta/nfyn/plantdetail.asp?tx=Ipommicr ). Accessed 2026. The Institute for Regional Conservation. Delray Beach, Florida.


Hammer, Roger. (2015). Attracting Hummingbirds and Butterflies in Tropical Florida. University Press of Florida, Gainesville.


Wunderlin, R. P., B. F. Hansen, A. R. Franck, and F. B. Essig. (1999+). Atlas of Florida Plants. ( https://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/ ). [S. M. Landry and K. N. Campbell (application development), USF Water Institute.] Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa.


Geiger, John H, Meerow, Alan W, Lewis, Carl et al. (2014). Genetic diversity and conservation of Ipomoea microdactyla (Convolvulaceae): an endemic vine from the Bahamas, Cuba, and southeastern Florida . Plant Species Biology, 29(1), 2-15. 10.1111/j.1442-1984.2012.00381.x ( https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1442-1984.2012.00381.x
 ). Accessed 2026.


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