Practical
Plants

Convolvulus arvensis

Field Bindweed

a perennial woody member of the Convolvulus genus in the family Convolvulaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
perennial
Woodiness
woody
Height
2 m
Fertility
Self fertile, Bees, Flies, Self
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Bees, Flies, Self

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The plant has been used as a flavouring in a liqueur called 'Noyeau'[7]. No details are given as to which part of the plant is used[K].

Product or use
Condiment

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The root, and also a resin made from the root, is cholagogue, diuretic, laxative and strongly purgative[4, 7. 9. 13, 240]. The dried root contains 4.9% resin[10]. The juice of the root is used in the treatment of fevers[13]. A tea made from the flowers is laxative and is also used in the treatment of fevers and wounds[9]. A cold tea made from the leaves is laxative and is also used as a wash for spider bites or taken internally to reduce excessive menstrual flow[9][12].

Product or use
Cholagogue
Product or use
Diuretic
Product or use
Laxative
Product or use
Purgative
Product or use
Stings
Product or use
Women's complaints

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The stem is used as a twine for tying up plants etc[15][17]. It is fairly flexible and strong but not long-lasting. A green dye is obtained from the whole plant[5].

Product or use
Dye
Product or use
String

Ecology and functions

Ecosystem niche
Climber

Environment

Range
Throughout the temperate regions of both Hemishperes, including Britain.
Habitat
Hedgerows, fields, waste places, fences etc[16][2], it can be a troublesome weed of agriculture.
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 5+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy
Soil pH
neutral, alkaline
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - best sown in situ as soon as it is ripe, it germinates in the autumn[4]. This species can become a real pest in the garden so it is unwise to encourage it.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Prefers a lighter basic soil[6] of low to medium fertility[8]. Bindweed is a very deep-rooting plant with a vigorous root system that extends to a considerable distance and is very hard to eradicate from the soil. Even a small piece of the root will grow into a new plant if it is left in the ground. Once established this plant soon becomes a pernicious weed[1][14]. It is a climbing plant that supports itself by twining around any support it can find and can soon swamp and strangle other plants[14]. The flowers close at night and also during rainy weather[14]. Although visited by numerous insects, the flowers seldom set fertile seed[14]. On sunny days the flowers diffuse a scent of heliotrope[11]. The plant harbours tobacco mosaic virus of the Solanaceae[3] and so should not be grown near potatoes, tomatoes and other members of that family.

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

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  2. Polunin. O. Flowers of Europe - A Field Guide. Oxford University Press 1969-00-00 ISBN 0192176218

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  3. Triska. Dr. Hamlyn Encyclopaedia of Plants. Hamlyn 1975-00-00 ISBN 0-600-33545-3

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  4. Bird. R. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 4. Thompson and Morgan. 1990-00-00

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  5. Grae. I. Nature's Colors - Dyes from Plants. MacMillan Publishing Co. New York. 1974-00-00 ISBN 0-02-544950-8

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  6. Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962-00-00

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  7. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6

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  8. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

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  9. Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America. Houghton Mifflin Co. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0395467225

    ↩1↩2

  10. Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. 1986-00-00

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  11. Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994-00-00 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8

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  12. Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9

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  13. Manandhar. N. P. Plants and People of Nepal Timber Press. Oregon. 2002-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-527-6

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  14. Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  15. Mabey. R. Plants with a Purpose. Fontana 1979-00-00 ISBN 0-00-635555-2

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  16. Chiej. R. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-356-10541-5

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  17. Turner. N. J. Plants in British Columbian Indian Technology. British Columbia Provincial Museum 1979-00-00 ISBN 0-7718-8117-7

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