Convolvulus equitans
Texas bindweed
South-central and southwestern North America
Overview
Convolvulus equitans is a trailing to twining perennial in the morning glory family, producing slender stems 1-3 feet (30-90 cm) long from a deep, woody root. The stems sprawl over the ground or climb low vegetation. The leaves are 0.5-2 inches (1.5-5 cm) long, gray-green and hairy, and vary in shape from arrowhead to deeply lobed at the base. Funnel-shaped flowers about 0.75-1 inch (2-2.5 cm) across open singly from late spring through fall, white to pale pink and often marked with a reddish or purplish center. Each flower lasts a single day. It grows in dry grassland, plains, roadsides, and disturbed ground across the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, tolerating heat and drought from its deep root system. The plant spreads by seed and by the persistent root, which makes it hard to remove once established. It can twine through and over garden plants, behaving as a weed in cultivated ground. Top growth dies back in winter and regrows from the root in spring. It tolerates poor, dry soils, but its spreading, weedy habit limits its use in tended gardens.
Native Range
Native to the south-central and southwestern United States and northern Mexico, in dry grassland, plains, and disturbed ground.Suggested Uses
Rarely planted ornamentally and usually managed as a weed of dry rangeland and disturbed ground. It appears spontaneously along roadsides, in fields, and on overgrazed land. It contributes some ground cover and forage value on dry rangeland.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height1' - 3'
Width/Spread2' - 4'
Reaches mature size in approximately 2 years
Bloom Information
Detailed Descriptions
Flower Description
white to pale pink with a darker centerFoliage Description
gray-green, hairyGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 6-10 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight