Bindweed

Bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis), commonly called Field Bindweed or Wild Morning Glory, is a perennial twining vine native to Europe and Asia that has become one of the most widespread and persistent weeds across North America, Australia, and South Asia. Despite its invasive nature, the plant produces surprisingly attractive funnel-shaped flowers that closely resemble those of the ornamental Morning Glory, leading to frequent misidentification. The plant spreads aggressively both by seed and by an extensive underground rhizome system that can penetrate the soil to depths of 20 feet or more, making it exceptionally difficult to eradicate once established. A single bindweed plant can spread to cover a 10-foot-wide patch in a single growing season.

Bindweed has been documented climbing up and smothering crop plants, fence posts, telephone poles, and ornamental garden plants with equal determination. The vine wraps counterclockwise (unlike Morning Glory, which wraps clockwise) around any available support. Its arrow-shaped leaves are a key visual diagnostic feature: they are sagittate at the base with two pointed basal lobes that project backward like a double arrowhead. This distinctive leaf shape — combined with the small, pale funnel flower — is the simplest way to distinguish it from the ornamental Morning Glory.

From a botanical standpoint, Convolvulus arvensis is classified within the family Convolvulaceae alongside its popular ornamental relatives: Morning Glory (Ipomoea purpurea), Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas), and the Moonflower (Ipomoea alba). Its flowers open only during daylight hours and close on overcast days or in the evening — a behavior shared with all members of the genus. Though classified as a noxious weed in most agricultural contexts, bindweed flowers attract several specialist pollinators, including solitary bees and hoverflies that feed on its abundant pollen.

In traditional and folk medicine across its native Eurasian range, Convolvulus arvensis has a long history of use. The roots were used as a purgative laxative in European herbalism, and leaf preparations were used topically in parts of the Middle East and India for wound healing and anti-inflammatory purposes. However, ingestion of the plant can cause gastrointestinal irritation, and the plant contains resin glycosides that can be mildly toxic to pets, making it important to keep it out of reach of cats and dogs.