field bindweed
(Convolvulus arvensis L.)

Overview

Appearance

Convolvulus arvensis is a perennial vine. It is weak-stemmed and prostrate. Stems twine and can grow to 5 ft. (1.5 m) or longer. C. arvensis has deep, spreading roots and rhizomes. It is native to Africa, temperate and tropical Asia and Europe.

Foliage

Leaves are round to arrow-shaped, 1-2.25 in. (2.5-5.7 cm) long, and alternate.

Flower

Flowering occurs in the mid-summer, when white to pale pink, funnel-shaped flowers develop. Flowers are approximately 0.75-1 in. (1.9-2.5 cm) across and are subtended by small bracts.

Fruit

Fruit are light brown, rounded, and 0.13 in. (0.3 cm) wide. Each fruit contains two seeds.

Ecological Threat

C. arvensis most likely was introduced in North America as a contaminant in crop seed as early as 1739. Plants typically inhabit roadsides and grasslands and live along streams.

Resources

• Federal Noxious Weed Disseminules of the U.S. - USDA-APHIS
• Weed of the Week - USDA Forest Service

Selected Images

Maps

Invasive Listing Sources

• Alaska Noxious Weeds
• Alberta Weed Control Act
• Arizona Noxious Weeds
• California Noxious Weeds
• City of Ann Arbor Michigan Parks and Recreation
• Colorado Noxious Weeds
• Hawaii Noxious Weeds
• Hoffman, R. & K. Kearns, Eds. 1997. Wisconsin manual of control recommendations for ecologically invasive plants. Wisconsin Dept. Natural Resources, Bureau of Endangered Resources. Madison, Wisconsin. 102pp.
• Idaho Noxious Weeds
• Indiana Invasive Species Council - Invasive Plant List
• Indiana Terrestrial Plant Rule
• Invasive Plant Association of Wisconsin
• Invasive Plant Species of West Virginia
• Iowa Noxious Weeds
• Jil M. Swearingen, Survey of invasive plants occurring on National Park Service lands, 2000-2007
• John Randall, The Nature Conservancy, Survey of TNC Preserves, 1995.
• Kansas Noxious Weeds
• Kentucky Exotic Pest Plant Council - Moderate Threat
• Maryland Code and Regulations Noxious Weed & Seed Law
• Michigan Noxious Weeds
• Missouri Noxious Weeds
• Montana Noxious Weeds
• National Park Service, Mid-Atlantic Exotic Plant Management Team Invasive Plant List
• Native Plant Society of Oregon, 2008
• New Hampshire Invasive Plant Species Watch List
• Nonnative Invasive Species in Southern Forest and Grassland Ecosystems
• Ohio Invasive Species Council
• Ohio Noxious Weeds
• Oregon Noxious Weeds
• Pacific Northwest Exotic Pest Plant Council, 1998
• Texas Noxious Weeds
• Utah Noxious Weeds - Contain
• Washington Noxious Weeds
• WeedUS - Database of Plants Invading Natural Areas in the United States
• West Virginia Native Plant Society, Flora West Virginia Project, and West Virginia Curatorial Database System, September 3, 1999
• Wyoming Noxious Weeds

References