Calystegia sepium (Hedge Bindweed)
| Also known as: | Hedge False Bindweed |
|---|---|
| Genus: | Calystegia |
| Family: | Convolvulaceae (Morning Glory) |
| Life cycle: | perennial |
| Origin: | native |
| Habitat: | part shade, sun; moist to average soil; fields, edges of woods, roadsides, along railroads |
| Bloom season: | June - September |
| Plant height: | 3 to 10 foot vine |
| Wetland Indicator Status: | GP: FAC MW: FAC NCNE: FAC |
| MN county distribution (click map to enlarge): |  |
| National distribution (click map to enlarge): |  |
Pick an image for a larger view. See the glossary for icon descriptions.
Detailed Information
Flower: 
![[photo of flowers]](/udata/r9ndp23q/pink/hedge-bindweed_0726_123323.jpg)
2 to 3-inch long, stalked, funnel-shaped flowers arising from leaf axils all along the stem. Flowers have 5 petals fused together; petal color ranges from pure white to pink or lavender. At the base of the tube's throat is a spot of yellow, with the stigma in the center. A flower usually lasts only 1 day, opening in the morning and closing in the afternoon, but may stay open all day in favorable conditions.
Leaves and stem:
![[photo of leaves]](/udata/r9ndp23q/pink/hedge-bindweed-100_1055.jpg)
Leaves are up to 5 inches long and 3 inches across, toothless and hairless, typically arrowhead-shaped with a sharply pointed tip, angled lobes at the base, and a long stalk. Stems are mostly smooth and lack tendrils, so climbs or wraps around other plants for support.
Fruit:
![[photo of fruit]](/udata/r9ndp23q/pink/hedge-bindweed_0328_170231.jpg)
Fruit is a small round capsule containing a few seeds, that persists through winter.
Notes:
Hedge Bindweed is often seen climbing up shrubs, fences and in open fields. It is similar to Field Bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis), a weedier species with smaller flowers and leaves. Also similar is Low False Bindweed (Calystegia spithamaea), a low-growing, non-vining plant of drier sandy or rocky soil, often in Jack Pine forest.
Native Plant Nurseries, Restoration and Landscaping Services ↓
Map of native plant resources in the upper midwest
More photos
Hedge Bindweed plant
more plants
pink flowersPhotos by K. Chayka taken at Long Lake Regional Park, Ramsey County, and at Mille Lacs Lake. Photos courtesy Peter M. Dziuk taken in Hennepin and McLeod counties.
Comments
Have you seen this plant in Minnesota, or have any other comments about it?
on: 2009-07-22 11:42:48
I saw this blooming today in UMore Park.
on: 2009-07-31 21:43:47
Saw this growing in patches of wild blackberries
on: 2009-08-13 22:10:34
They are all up and down the shores of the backwaters of the Mississippi River from Hastings to Red Wing. I have tons of pictures and plan to harvest some seeds this fall.
on: 2011-11-06 22:38:32
Found this growing in a wet ditch this summer near Pillager. The vines were climbing up other shrubs and small trees.
on: 2012-09-01 14:41:49
Saw this climbing up a couple trees--may have been Field Bindweed, but I hope not, as that is considered noxious...
on: 2012-09-02 01:32:34
Field bindweed doesn't tend to climb trees, so you probably saw the native.
on: 2015-03-08 10:37:26
I saw this species in bloom at Shooting Star Prairie SNA (Mower County, near the Iowa border) on August 1, 2013.
on: 2015-07-13 12:08:54
Found this along the river near Hariett Park.
on: 2015-07-19 15:54:10
I just found the Hedge Bindweed pn my road in rural Hubbard County, just over the Beltrami County line.
on: 2015-07-22 21:18:45
St. Paul West Side. My yard is full of it.
on: 2015-09-20 02:18:37
Do these have prickly looking seeds? I have something that looks like this flower on a 2.5-3 foot bush. It's spreading in the neighborhood - but they have ping pong ball size seeds with spiky looking thorns on the seed balls.
on: 2015-09-20 09:31:27
Melissa, what you describe is wild cucumber (Echinocystis lobata), which has very different leaves.
on: 2015-09-28 16:24:53
I found a wild one growing in my backyard.
on: 2016-07-08 22:18:19
I found one flower while blueberry picking.
on: 2016-07-24 11:33:03
I have these in my rock garden in dodge county. Any tips on how to get rid of this would be appreciated. They choke my monarch friendly plants!
on: 2016-08-25 22:25:36
I saw one white flower with a lot more of it's greenery. It was ground level. Interestingly, I also noticed very little milkweed. I noticed another comment accusing this plant of "choking monarch friendly plants". Is this plant guilty of this?
on: 2016-08-26 18:07:38
Tammy, in the wild hedge bindweed doesn't really out-compete other plants and choke them out, though I have seen some pretty robust vines. Human interference in the natural order (including cultivation) can be a cause for natives going hog wild.
on: 2017-09-04 09:08:22
I think we have a white one of this variety. It grew up in the rocks next to our patio. It seems to me that the plant is delicate and the leaves are as shown and are soft. There are more flowers to come from a long closed petal that points straight up. We didn't pick it because we wanted to see what it was. It flowered on September 4th and is a beautiful flower. Let me know if it is toxic or noxious. My wife is a gardener and has 5 flower gardens. Is it OK to grow a few of these or will they spread and take over? Thanks
on: 2018-06-30 08:31:59
This is in the marsh area of French. It is the pink and white variant which o think os quite pretty!
on: 2018-07-01 21:11:37
I was walking in the unmowed WMA, tripping on vines in the weeds. Finally looked down to see what it was and found white blossoms on the vibes. Searched and this is it
on: 2018-07-02 13:21:22
Found in Beltrami Island State Forest in Roseau County in a Jack Pine stand
on: 2020-01-11 21:39:15
A UK survey of 220 or so flowering plants placed this plant in the top 10 (number 6) for per-flower nectar sugar production. People should keep that in mind if they think it being competitive with other plants is so bad. It also has pretty flowers. Yes, we're not the UK but the plant clearly has pollinator benefit, unlike a lot of garden flowers and some natives, too.
on: 2020-08-04 12:04:37
Found this growing on the beach of east side of the lake. Pink tinged, so I guess it is native.
on: 2020-08-20 11:08:27
There are some huge vines of this species on the Munger Trail at one of the crossings for Otter Creek. But I just read that there are 4 subspecies in the US one of which is not native. So, does MN have only one subspecies (ssp. americana)?
on: 2020-08-20 14:53:26
Gary, according to the annotated statewide checklist compiled by Anita Cholewa, last updated in 2017 just before she retired from the Bell Herbarium, there are supposedly 4 subspecies present in MN, but most specimens in the herbarium are not identified to subspecies so their true distribution is unknown.
Having said that, subsp. americana is apparently the most common, subsp. angulata is only known from McLeod County, subsp. sepium is only known from Clearwater County, and subsp. appalachiana is reported at USDA-NRCS but there are no specimens for it at the Bell. BTW, BONAP lists 6 subspecies total.
on: 2022-06-26 11:59:46
We have it by our cabin up north by spring lake/Talmoon area
on: 2022-07-13 16:19:08
It's growing in the marsh in the conservation area behind our house.
on: 2022-07-31 18:29:20
Pink form along the River Trail near Scanlon.
on: 2022-08-28 18:13:43
This plant grows abundantly in my road ditch and climbs our perimeter fence each summer. It's begun making its way into the edges of our horse pasture, as well. Winsted, MN
on: 2023-06-09 18:46:36
Growing abundantly in the flower gardens here, happy to know it's native to Mn but am not going to cultivate! What a mess!
on: 2023-07-22 09:58:02
This is growing along Pelican Brook, as seen from a kayak.
on: 2023-08-21 22:28:52
Saw it in the little parking lot by the boat launch to Snelling Lake.