IDENTIFICATION
Perennial.
Field bindweed, also called morning glory, has petunia-like, white
to pink flowers on stems that trail on the ground or twine counter-clockwise
around fences or supports. The leaves are arrowhead-shaped. Field bindweed
has an extensive system of whitish, cord-like, fleshy roots and a deep
taproot.
DAMAGE
Field bindweed can reduce crop yields and its twining stems can
interfere with harvesting and landscape plantings. It also acts as an
alternate host for some crop diseases. Its ability to tolerate almost
any growing conditions and its fast reproduction rate make it a threat
to native plant populations.
HABITAT
Field bindweed grows on cultivated lands, roadsides, and especially
on disturbed ground in coastal areas and low - mid-elevation regions of
BC's Interior. It is common in southern British Columbia, and present
in the Kootenay, Okanagan, Thompson, Lower Mainland, and Vancouver Island
regions. It does not pose a serious threat to agriculture in the province.
SPREAD
Detached roots and rhizomes can produce large numbers of new shoots. Seeds
generally fall near the parent plant, but can be dispersed by water, as
a contaminant in crop seeds, and by mammals and birds after ingestion.
