Field Bindweed
Convolvulus arvensis
Class A Noxious Weed
This plant is new to the state and has been designated a Class A Noxious Weed by the New Mexico Department of Agriculture.
Agricultural Threat
This plant threatens our state's food security and economy by reducing agriculture yields and/or degrading soil resources.
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Livestock Hazard
This plant presents a threat to the health and/or quality of livestock.
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Commercially Available
Despite being classified as a noxious weed, this plant is still widely sold in stores! Keep an eye out, and remember that it is illegal to plant and transport noxious weeds in the state of New Mexico.
QUICK FACTS
- Native to the Mediterranean, field bindweed was introduced to Virginia in 1739, likely via contaminated seeds. It now exists on every inhabited continent, thrives in disturbed areas, and poses a significant threat to agriculture, reducing crop yields by 20-80%.
- Field bindweed is a perennial vine with trumpet-shaped white-to-pink flowers and deep, extensive roots capable of spreading over 20 feet. It germinates in dry, sunny conditions and produces seeds that remain viable for decades.
- This weed is difficult to eradicate because of its deep root system and seed resilience. Bindweed competes aggressively with crops, harbors plant viruses, and is toxic to horses.
1. Overview
The strangling nightmare that consumes all available nutrients and quickly renders fields useless.
One of the most difficult-to-eradicate noxious weeds you are likely to encounter is field bindweed. “Devil’s guts” or “chicken guts,” two of the 84+ common names for this prolific weed, refer to the tangled, writhing mess it makes of agricultural fields and other open areas. Field bindweed is a botanical tyrant—its creeping roots and vines strangle crops, defy eradication, and mock the efforts of even the most diligent landowner. For hundreds of years, it has spread its tendrils across the globe; today, it is listed as one of the ten most serious weeds on the planet.
History of Field bindweed
Field bindweed is native to the Mediterranean region but now exists on every inhabited continent. The weed was discovered in Virginia in 1739, likely established through contaminated seeds. It spread rapidly, thriving in croplands and disturbed areas. It competed aggressively with crops, reducing yields. By the eruption of the Civil War, it was noticed across the U.S. as a problematic invader. Today, it has spread accidentally and as an ornamental groundcover and remains an agricultural nightmare. [2,3,4,7]
This weed is now found in 48 states and 8 Canadian provinces and territories. It tends to avoid extremely hot climates such as those in the extreme southwest and southeast U.S.[1,6]
After its introduction to the U.S., Native Americans found various uses for the plant, including medicine and dye. The Navajo used a lotion made from bindweed as a remedy for spider bites; They would also ingest the plant with other food if it were suspected that a spider had inadvertently been swallowed. Compounds from the plant have been found helpful in some applications of modern medicine, but refining these properties is expensive. As a result, efforts are being made to replicate these compounds synthetically. [7]
The Okanagan-Colville tribes made rope with bindweed, which was said to be strong and pliable but short-lived. In India, field bindweed is commonly used as an intentional livestock feed, and it is speculated that bindweed may contain higher protein levels than alfalfa. [7]
The Latin word “convovulus” means to entwine, whereas “arvensis” means “of the fields”. In the first Century A.D., ancient Greeks recorded it as clymenon ( the circling plant). In Rome, it was named volucrum majus, “a large worm that wraps itself in vines.” [1,4,7]
2. ID Guide
What does it look like?
Field bindweed is a twisting, mat-forming ground cover with distinctive white to pink flowers that have shapes typical of morning glories. A common sight in North American gardens is the annual morning glory (Ipomoea spp.). This similar vine is distinguished by a thicker stem and larger, ~2-inch flowers that are deeper shades of blue, purple, or white. Wild buckwheat is also commonly misidentified as bindweed, but is set apart by its larger, more pointed leaves. [1]
Having trouble identifying a weed? Contact your local conservation district or county extension agent.
Key Features
- Plant: Colonies of these plants form dense ground covers with twisting brown-purple vines that easily climb other plants. Each plant can extend ten feet or more. [1]
- Roots: A deep, slender taproot forms from each plant. Spaghetti-like in appearance, roots form a writhing mass that extends up to 25 feet both laterally and vertically. Lateral roots spread to a 10-foot or greater radius from a deep taproot. [1,2]
- Leaves: The arrow-shaped (sagittate) mature leaves are in an alternate pattern with smooth (entire) margins and shrink in size as they grow closer to the vine’s end. These leaves are between 1.5 and 2.5 inches long with long petioles. The first leaves emerging from the seed are square-ish, measuring between 0.35 and 0.87 inches in length and 0.14 and 0.4 inches in width, with long stalks that are reddish near their base. [1,2]
- Flowers: The bindweed flowers are arguably the plant’s most recognizable part. Its trumpet-shaped flowers appear in leaf axils throughout the summer. In true morning glory fashion, the flowers open each morning and close in the evening. Each axil holds one to five 0..5-1 inch flowers. Flower bracts are less than 0.1 inch long. [1,2]
- Seeds: Smooth, round seed capsules are about 0.25 inches and contain 1-4 seeds. The seeds are dark brown, about 0.12-0.16 inches, and have a rough texture. [1,2,3]
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Dormant root shoots begin emerging in mid-spring, while seedlings typically sprout later in the season.
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Leaves are squarish to heart-shaped and in an alternate pattern.
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These plants form dense ground covers with twisting brown-purple vines that easily climb other plants.
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Trumpet-shaped flowers appear in leaf axils throughout the summer. The flowers open each morning and close in the evening.
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Smooth, round seed capsules are about 0.25 inches and contain 1-4 seeds.
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The seeds are dark brown, about 0.12-0.16 inches, and have a rough texture.
3. Infestation Basics
“We are told that incessant vigilance is the condition on which alone the rights of freemen can be maintained…I believe the farmer will find a similar condition annexed to the preservation of his premises [from bindweed].”
-William Darlington, 1859
Where does it grow and how does it spread?
Field bindweed thrives in sunny, disturbed environments such as pastures, gardens, roadsides, and waste areas, adapting to various soil types, from fertile to nutrient-poor. It spreads aggressively through rhizomatous roots and resilient seeds.
Field bindweed is commonly found where human agricultural activities occur, including pastures, cultivated fields, gardens, and lawns. The plant can often be found in disturbed environments like railways, abandoned parking lots, roadsides, and waste areas, where the ground has been altered or left untended. The plant favors fertile, dry soils or occasionally irrigated areas. This weed will endure in various conditions, from nutrient-poor or rocky soils to dense clay. [2,4]
Unusually, bindweed favors dry, sunny conditions for germination—conditions that give it a competitive edge in drought-prone areas. Each plant can yield around 500 seeds, each equipped for long- and short-term survival. Germination can begin just 10 days after fertilization, in temperatures ranging from 41–104°F, and with new seeds showing up to 99% viability. Seeds stored at room temperature remained 62% viable even after 50 years. Most fresh seeds won’t germinate right away due to a tough seed coat, which becomes impermeable to water after about 23–25 days—priming the seeds for long dormancy. This hardy coating allows seeds to survive passage through animal digestive tracts for up to six days, aiding long-distance dispersal. Cold winter temperatures can weaken the seed’s attachment point, encouraging spring germination [2,4,7].
Dormant root shoots begin emerging in mid-spring, while seedlings typically sprout later in the season. Both types of growth continue throughout the summer. Flowering usually begins in the plant’s second year, emerging 6–9 weeks after shoot development, and can last through summer into fall, depending on temperature. While the above-ground plant dies back with the first frost, the roots survive temperatures down to 21°F [2,4].
Key takeaway: To prevent the spread of field bindweed, it is important to minimize soil disturbance and clean farm equipment thoroughly to avoid transporting rhizome fragments.
Why is it so invasive?
Once established, field bindweed outcompetes native plants and crops by forming dense, sprawling mats that monopolize sunlight, water, and nutrients. Its extensive rhizome network allows it to regenerate rapidly, even after mechanical removal, and its seeds remain viable in the soil for decades.
Field bindweed is a persistent perennial weed notorious for its aggressive vegetative growth powered by a vast root system. Its roots can grow as deep as 23 feet, with lateral roots extending up to 16 feet in a single direction. After spreading outward 15–30 inches, these lateral roots bend downward to form secondary taproots. From the curve of each bend, vertical rhizomes rise toward the surface to produce new shoots while additional lateral roots continue the plant’s expansion. Root buds can generate new shoots from depths of up to three feet, making eradication especially difficult. Even small root fragments are highly regenerative—a 2-inch piece of root produced 25 shoots and stretched 9.4 feet from the parent plant over 15 months in a Saskatchewan study. Farm equipment often carries these fragments between fields, depositing potential invaders in otherwise healthy croplands and pastures. [2,4]
Field bindweed harms agricultural yields by competing directly with crops and complicating harvesting operations. The weed thrives in various soil types and is capable of overtaking huge tracts of land. [2]
Key takeaway: Field bindweed can take over areas where native plants grow, which is a problem for biodiversity. It can also harm agricultural yields when it becomes established in croplands.
Common risk factors for invasion
- Soil disturbance: Field bindweed loves to invade areas where soil has been disturbed, such as construction sites, tilled fields, or overgrazed pastures. This disruption weakens existing vegetation and allows the weed to become established. Minimizing unnecessary soil disturbance can help reduce the risk of invasion.
- Areas of neglect: Field bindweed is often established in neglected or abandoned places, such as roadsides, railways, and vacant lots. These undisturbed spaces give it the time and opportunity to spread without competition or control. Regular monitoring and weed management in such areas can mitigate this risk.
- Open spaces: Bindweed favors open, sunny environments with little to no canopy cover, such as pastures, cultivated fields, and south-facing slopes. These conditions allow the weed to establish quickly and outcompete other plants. Maintaining healthy, large-leafed vegetation in these areas can help limit its spread.
- Seed contamination: Field bindweed seeds often appear in contaminated grain, legume seeds, or other agricultural seed crops. Knowledge of seed origins and cleaning planting equipment can help prevent infestations.
Impacts
Economic
Field bindweed’s extensive root system endangers crops by aggressively competing for water and nutrients. Spain recorded annual losses of wheat/sunflower crops of 1.6 plants per square foot due to the presence of field bindweed. Crop production usually decreases by 20-80% in fields infested with Field bindweed. The weed’s strangling nature inhibits the growth of many crops, causing further economic damage. The presence of weeds makes harvesting crops both mechanically and manually much more difficult. [2,4,7]
Agricultural
Bindweed carries a host of viruses that particularly affect nightshades, like tomatoes, tobacco, and potatoes. Horses can be harmed by ingesting field bindweed because the plant contains the alkaloid psudotropine, which may cause equine intestinal fibrosis. [4,10]
Ecosystem Health
Once established, field bindweed displaces native plants, resulting in a notable loss of floral biodiversity. This can significantly reduce forage availability for game, particularly during the winter months, and may even alter migratory patterns. [10]
4. Management Strategies
While toxic to horses, Cattle, sheep, pigs, and chickens will readily graze on the plant. While grazing will likely not eliminate the plant, it may significantly reduce seed production. Hogs and chickens can be more effective as they will dig up and consume the root crown. Smothering the weed with black fabric or plastic can be effective, but this process will take multiple years to eliminate the infestation completely. [4,8]
As mentioned above, bindweed is not at all shade tolerant. An experiment was performed in 1985 in Fort Collins, Colorado, by the farmer John Mattingly. He wanted to see if pumpkins, the leaves of which grow quite large and naturally shade out many groundcovers, would impact the growth of bindweed in one of his fields. After fertilizing the pumpkins with liquid nitrogen, the bindweed became so stunted they could not produce seed. Mattingly claims this treatment effectively eliminated bindweed from his field for at least 9 years. He attributes this success to the combined shading ability and allelopathic nature of pumpkins. [9]
DO’s
- Routinely inspect your land and remove bindweed manually, ensuring to extract as much of the root system as possible.
- Always clean farm equipment to prevent the spread of rhizome fragments between fields.
- Plant dense or fast-growing crops to outcompete bindweed in fields or gardens.
DON’Ts
- Ignore new growth; Ignoring small patches of bindweed can allow it to spread rapidly, making control much more difficult.
- Compost bindweed plants or roots, as they can survive and re-establish when spread.
- Avoid leaving exposed soil, as this provides ideal conditions for bindweed to establish.
** The following information is provided courtesy of the UC Weed Research and Information Center. The Taos Soil and Water Conservation District does not endorse the use of any particular product, brand, or application thereof. **
Management strategies include regular hand-pulling or digging to remove root systems, applying mulch or landscape fabric to block sunlight, cultivating the soil to disrupt growth, and planting competitive cover crops to suppress weed establishment.
Hand-pulling |
Pulling can be effective on seedlings or young adults but is not effective when the plant has developed a deep, extensive root system. |
Mowing |
Mowing is not effective due to the low profile of the plant. |
Tilling |
Intensive cultivation will control new seedlings but spreads the roots and seeds, which may spread the plant. Tilling conducted 8 to 12 days after each emergence throughout the growing season can control field bindweed, but this requires repeated treatments for 1 to 5 years. Deep tillage using shanks down to 3 ft with a cross bar will reduce emergence for a season. Shallow cultivation that kills all above-ground shoots can be effective if repeated several times over a couple of years |
The following specific use information is based on published papers and reports by researchers and land managers. Other trade names may be available, and other compounds also are labeled for this weed. Directions for use may vary between brands; see label before use. Herbicides are listed by mode of action and then alphabetically. The order of herbicide listing is not reflective of the order of efficacy or preference.
| 2,4-D amine Several names |
Rate: 4 to 6 pt product/acre (1.9 to 2.85 lb a.e./acre) Timing: Postemergence at bud stage or in fallow in mid-summer, before bindweed is under moisture stress. Remarks: Use 2,4-D to help reduce bindweed stand 60 to 80% and prevent seedling establishment. 2,4-D applications must be made for several years consecutively to prevent regrowth. Avoid drift to sensitive crops. |
|
Aminocyclopyrachlor + chlorsulfuron Perspective |
Rate: 4.75 to 8 oz product (Perspective)/acre Timing: Postemergence when vegetation is fully developed. Remarks: Perspective provides broad-spectrum control of many broadleaf species. Although generally safe to grasses, it may suppress or injure certain annual and perennial grass species. Do not treat in the root zone of desirable trees and shrubs. Do not apply more than 11 oz product/acre per year. At this high rate, cool-season grasses will be damaged, including bluebunch wheatgrass. Not yet labeled for grazing lands. Add an adjuvant to the spray solution. This product is not approved for use in California and some counties of Colorado (San Luis Valley). |
|
Dicamba Banvel, Clarity |
Rate: 1 to 4 lb product/acre (0.5 to 2 lb a.e./acre) Timing: Postemergence when weeds are growing rapidly. Do not apply after bud break. Remarks: Recommended rates only suppress field bindweed. Follow-up treatments are generally necessary. Dicamba can be tank mixed with 2,4-D (0.5 to 2 lb a.e./acre) or glyphosate (3 lb a.i./acre). Dicamba is available mixed with diflufenzopyr in a formulation called Overdrive. This has been reported to be effective on field bindweed. Diflufenzopyr is an auxin transport inhibitor which causes dicamba to accumulate in shoot and root meristems, increasing its activity. Overdrive is applied postemergence at 4 to 8 oz product/acre. Higher rates should be used when treating perennial weeds. Add a non-ionic surfactant to the treatment solution at 0.25% v/v or a methylated seed oil at 1% v/v solution. |
|
Fluroxypyr Vista XRT |
Rate: 22 oz product/acre (7.7 oz a.e./acre) Timing: Postemergence when the target plants are growing rapidly. Remarks: Provides suppression and not control. Control is reduced if the plants are under stressed growth conditions. |
|
Picloram Tordon 22K |
Rate: 1 to 2 qt product/acre (0.5 to1 lb a.e./acre) Timing: Postemergence in the growing season when bindweed is visible. Timing is not critical, but results are most consistent if bindweed is in early bud to full bloom. |
|
Triclopyr Garlon 3A |
Rate: 3 to 4 pt Garlon 3A/acre (1.13 to 1.5 lb a.e./acre) Timing: Postemergence at bud stage or at summer fallow in mid-summer. Remarks: Retreatment is usually necessary for effective control. Triclopyr has no soil residual activity and controls many broadleaf species. |
|
Glyphosate Roundup, Accord XRT II, and others |
Rate: 3 to 4 qt product (Roundup ProMax)/acre (3.4 to 4.5 lb a.e./acre) Timing: Postemergence when plants are growing rapidly, up to the beginning of seed production. Plants should not be under drought stress at time of application. Application in late summer is also effective. Remarks: Cover foliage thoroughly but avoid spray runoff. Repeat treatments may be needed for complete control. Control improves if treated area is tilled 2 to 3 weeks after treatment. Add non- ionic surfactant or 10 to 15 lb of ammonium sulfate. Glyphosate is a nonselective herbicide. It can be tank mixed with 2,4-D or dicamba. |
|
Imazapic Plateau |
Rate: 8 to 12 oz product/acre (2 to 3 oz a.e./acre) Timing: Postemergence, from 25% bloom through fall to rapidly growing bindweed. Remarks: For more effective control add 1 qt/acre methylated seed oil. Imazapic is not registered for use in California. |
|
Imazapyr Arsenal, Habitat, Stalker, Chopper, Polaris |
Rate: 1 pt product (Arsenal)/acre (4 oz a.e./acre) Timing: Preemergence or postemergence when plants are growing rapidly. Remarks: Imazapyr is fairly nonselective and may injure some desirable species, including grasses and broadleaves. It has fairly long soil residual activity, depending on the site. |
|
Metsulfuron Escort |
Rate: 1 to 2 oz product/acre (0.6 to 1.2 oz a.i./acre) Timing: Postemergence to rapidly growing bindweed in bloom stage. Remarks: Metsulfuron only suppresses field bindweed. Use a non-ionic or silicone surfactant to improve control. Metsulfuron is not registered for use in California. |
|
Propoxycarbazone- sodium Canter R+P |
Rate: 0.9 to 1.2 oz product/acre (0.63 to 0.84 oz a.i./acre) Timing: Postemergence to young, rapidly growing plants. Remarks: Propoxycarbazone is a broad-spectrum herbicide that will control many species. It will provide only partial control of field bindweed. Perennial grass species vary in tolerance. A non-ionic surfactant should be added at 0.25 to 0.5% v/v solution. |
5. Citations
[1] NPS. “Exotic Species: Field Bindweed (U.S. National Park Service).” National Parks Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, www.nps.gov/articles/field-bindweed.htm. Accessed 17 Dec. 2024.
[2] Mohler, Charles L. “Bindweeds.” SARE, 5 Sept. 2023, www.sare.org/publications/manage-weeds-on-your-farm/bindweeds/. Accessed 17 Dec. 2024.
[3] Nebraska Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit. “Field Bindweed.” Field Bindweed | Invasive Species Program | Nebraska, 2024, unlcms.unl.edu/ianr/snr/nebraska-cooperative-fish-wildlife-research-unit/invasive-species/species/plants/field-bindweed Accessed 17 Dec. 2024.
[4] Jacobs, Jim. “Montana Invasive Plant Species Technical Note.” nrcs.usda.gov, U.S. Department of the Interior, Feb. 2007, www.nrcs.usda.gov/plantmaterials/mtpmctn13106.pdf. Accessed 17 Dec. 2024.
[5] Naidu, Dr. V.S.G.R. Hand Book on Weed Identification. Directorate of Weed Science Research., 2012.
6] USDA. “Convolvulus Arvensis L.” USDA Plants Database, U.S. Department of the Interior, plants.usda.gov/plant-profile/COAR4. Accessed 17 Dec. 2024.
[7] Green, Jessica. “Field Bindweed: Why It’s so Hard to Manage.” Eorganic.org, Oregon State University, 8 Nov. 2018, eorganic.org/node/35147. Accessed 17 Dec. 2024.
[8] Sherman, Pamela G., and Thomas J. Elpel. “Field Bindweed.” Wildflowers-And-Weeds.com, 2024, www.wildflowers-and-weeds.com/weedsinfo/Convolvulus_arvensis.htm. Accessed 17 Dec. 2024.
[9] Sullivan, Preston. “Field Bindweed Control Alternatives.” NCAT, 2004.
[10] Cowlitz County Noxious Weed Control Board. “Field Bindweed.” Www.co.cowlitz.wa.us, www.co.cowlitz.wa.us/DocumentCenter/View/13971/Field-Bindweed. Accessed 17 Jan. 2025.
Mary Ellen (Mel) Harte, Bugwood.org
Fun Facts
In Oklahoma, field bindweed is a valued commodity for the honey industry. Bees regularly use the flowers’ nectar to create large quantities of white honey. [8]
Bruce Ackley, The Ohio State University, Bugwood.org
John M. Randall, The Nature Conservancy, Bugwood.org
Fun Facts
When bindweed seeds find their way into ground flour grains, the accidental combination can change the flour’s color and cause an unpleasant taste. [8]
daniele004, inaturalist.org
Common names for Convolvulus arvensis include:
Bearbind
Bellbind
Byndweede (Old English)
Chicken guts
Common bindweed
Common creeper
Corn-bind
Corn lily
Creeping jenny
Devil’s guts
European bindweed
Field bindweed
Grass bindweed
Hedge bells
Laplove
Perennial morning glory
Possession bind
Sheepbind
Small-flowered morning glory
Slight bindweed
Torn bindweed
Trailing bindweed
Twining bindweed
Wheat bindweed
Wild bindweed
Wild morning glory (coined for ornamental sale)
Withwind
Steve Dewey, Utah State University, Bugwood.org
Gonzalo Sanchez, inaturalist.org
Peri Lee Pipkin, inaturalist.org