Morning glory with pole beans?*

(Question)

Can the pole bean (Kentucky Wonder) and morning glory plants grow together? Will one choke the other out or are there other cross pollination issues to consider?

 

 

 

 

(Answer)

Kentucky Wonder pole beans are in the Fabaceae family while morning glories are in the Convolvulaceae family. They cannot cross pollinate.

In addition, pole beans are also self pollinators. This means that each flower has both male and female parts and does not need pollen from another flower or pole bean plant to be fertilized.

https://extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.cfm?number=C934

Morning glories flower profusely and grow vigorously which is why they are often used to cover objects such as a fence. Although they are not perennial, they can self-seed and may become invasive. Pole beans also grow vigorously. The two together can form a lovely combination with the flowers from both amongst the greenery. However, you may find it difficult to locate the beans under all the growth if you want to eat them fresh rather than as dried beans. Also keep in mind the morning glory propensity to self seed and consider your plans for the bed next year and what effect morning glories cropping up may have on these plans.