Bindweed Makes A Terrible Outdoor Plant But Works Great Indoors

It's true that weeds are just plants in a spot where they aren't wanted, and in the case of field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis), it isn't wanted much anywhere in North America, thanks to its invasiveness. However, a few curious plant enthusiasts, including software developer Dominick Gendill, have discovered that it can actually make an excellent houseplant. Bindweed's tenacious nature, which makes it so undesirable when you're fighting to keep it from taking over your garden, also makes it something of a bullet-proof houseplant that can survive poor soil, underwatering, and general neglect.

Field bindweed, which is native to Europe, along with hedge bindweed (Calystegia sepium), which is a native but aggressive pest in the Northeastern US, can quickly take over gardens as pastures when allowed to spread outdoors. Even worse, they aggressively outcompete other plants and are extremely challenging to remove or control, thanks to their fast-growing rhizomes. The appeal of their beautiful flowers, which look like petunias, can't be denied, though, so anyone who wants to enjoy these plants and their white or pale pink blooms should seriously consider adding them to their houseplant collection.

You likely won't be able to find bindweed for sale at shops or garden centers, but as you're pulling weeds up in late summer or early fall, you can just dig up bindweed from your yard to use as a houseplant. Because bindweeds can handle poor soils, you shouldn't need to worry too much about what type of potting soil you grow your new bindweed plant in. You should water it if the soil appears dry, but bindweed is relatively drought-tolerant.

While bindweed is easy to care for in most ways, you must make sure it has plenty of light. Bindweed grows best in full sunlight when grown outside, so if you opt to grow it as a houseplant, you should make sure it is kept in a south-facing window and possibly under grow lights. Because bindweed is a vine, you may also want to give it a small trellis or pole to climb.