Birding Travels
In North America

Field Bindweed - Convolvulus arvensis
San Lorenzo, New Mexico, USA
July 2015

In late July, 2015,  we found Field Bindweed, Convolvulus arvensis, in a field in San Lorenzo.  Photographs of those plants, reproduced here, show a white flower(s) which means they have just bloomed.  In just a few hours they will age to pink or a faint purple. 

Field Bindweed is not native to the Americas, it was introduced into North America in about 1739, from Eurasia.  In the range map to the right, it is found in all of the blue and dark pink areas and in the dark pink areas it is officially considered a noxious weed.

Native Americans, especially in the western part of the United States and Canada, did find usages for it.  Among other things, indicating how quickly this species spread following introduction.

Other common names for this species include; Smallflowered Morning Glory, Lesser Bindweed, Perennial Morning Glory, Creeping Jenny, ....  At this juncture it grows in much of the world and the common names proliferate.  There are, however, only three scientific synonyms; C. ambigens, C. incanus, and Strophocaulos arvensis.

Most of the entries found on the internet have to do with the eradication of this species because of its detrimental impact on the economics of agriculture.  There are so many entries because it is a difficult species to eradicate.  For instance, on the surface the leaves and flowers take up very little space and, except in mass, do not proclaim themselves broadly here in the southwest.  But they have root systems which may reach depths of 20 feet, easily reaching water in many of the flood plains of the southwest.