Commonly called - Convolvulus
also known as Morning Glory
A hardy perennial climbing or creeping plant usually found on poor soils or waste ground, growing shoots twist anti-clockwise around other plants, trees or structures to further it's progress. Arrow shaped alternate dark green leaves 20 - 50mm (0.8 - 2in) long with white or sometimes pale pink striped flowers of 40 - 50mm (1.6 - 2in) across, appearing June to September. Very pernicious and usually regarded as a weed in cultivated spaces, it is very difficult to eradicate, growing from the smallest piece of rhizome left in the ground. It has an extensive root system of both deep vertical (to 5m / 16ft) and shallow horizontal lateral roots, however much of the root mass is within the top 60cm (2ft). Widespread in cultivated areas, pastures, lawns, gardens, roadsides, and waste areas.
Native of Eurasia, it has many alternative names including perennial Morning Glory, Creeping Jenny, and Bellbine. grows from seed which can lay dormant for 40+ years. Seeds form in round smooth capsules 5mm (1/4 in) long containing upto four seeds. Prefers heavy clay soils and is drought tolerant. Control by digging up as much of the root structure as possible and then regularly remove the resultant regrowth to weaken the plant over time. Black polyethylene makes an effective mulch if no light is allowed to reach the soil and the plant, overlap the plastic edges to maintain integrity so that the plant cannot grow between the sheets and into the light. Landscape fabrics (Terram) are effective if all light is excluded. It can take 3 years or more of light exclusion before the bindweed is killed as Bindweed retains a large food store in it's root system. Once the plastic is removed, new bindweed plants may germinate from seed in the soil. Herbicides (Roundup Etc.) applied during flowering and before seed is set can be used for control of bindweed, but will not been very effective for total eradication. Bindweed in turf or grassed areas is not normally a problem because frequent mowing reduces its vigour, although if it becomes established it will persist. Glyphosate does not have residual activity so does not affect the germination of seed, so new seedlings will have to be controlled with mulch, pre emergent herbicides, or by cultivation.
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