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Calystegia sepium - (L.)R.Br.                
                 
Common Name Hedge Bindweed
Family Convolvulaceae
Synonyms Convolvulus sepium.
Known Hazards This species is said to be purgative[173], some caution is advised.
Habitats Hedges, fences, edges of woods, waste ground etc[9].
Range Most of Europe, excluding the north but including Britain, W. Asia, N. Africa and N. America.
Edibility Rating  
Medicinal Rating  
Care
Fully Hardy Moist Soil Semi-shade Full sun

Summary       

Physical Characteristics       
 icon of manicon of flower
Calystegia sepium is a PERENNIAL CLIMBER growing to 3 m (9ft 10in) at a fast rate.
It is hardy to zone 4. It is in flower from Jul to September. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees, lepidoptera.


Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.
Calystegia sepium Hedge Bindweed


http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Calystegia_sepium_Sturm1.jpg
Calystegia sepium Hedge Bindweed
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Xhienne
   
Habitats       
Woodland Garden Dappled Shade; Shady Edge; Hedgerow;
Edible Uses                                         
Edible Parts: Leaves;  Root.
Edible Uses:

Stalks and root - cooked[2, 46, 128, 153]. Washed and steamed[179]. A pleasant sweet taste[178]. Rich in starch and sugars, it is very nutritious[179]. It should not be eaten regularly, however, due to its possible purgative effect[179]. Young shoots - cooked[46, 61, 105]. Some caution is advised since they are possibly purgative[179].
Medicinal Uses


Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.

Cholagogue;  Demulcent;  Diuretic;  Febrifuge;  Poultice;  Purgative.

The root is demulcent, diuretic, febrifuge, poultice and strongly purgative[9, 21, 178, 222]. Use of the root is believed to increase the flow of bile[222].
Other Uses
String.

The stems are very flexible and can be used as an emergency string for tying[6]. It is fairly strong but not very long-lasting[K].
Cultivation details                                         
Easily grown in ordinary garden soil in a sunny position, but plants are apt to become invasive[1, 200]. Hedge bindweed is a troublesome garden weed, especially when growing on moist soils[1, 4]. The plant is a vigorous climber with annual shoots 3 metres or more long. These twine around other plants and can kill them by smothering them[4]. Once established, it is very difficult to eradicate the plant because it has very deep roots and is capable of re-growing from any part of the root left in the ground. The flowers open in sunny weather and remain closed during dull weather[4]. Nearly all taxa in Calystegia intergrade geographically into neighboring taxa with the exception of the widespread coastal species, C. soldanella (Linnaeus) R. Brown. It is impossible to draw clearly defined specific limits, and intermediate forms are always found where two taxa approximate geographically[266].
                                                                                 
Propagation                                         
Seed - sow spring in a cold frame in a free draining compost and only just cover. The seed usually germinates in 1 - 3 months at 15°c[138]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a cold frame for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Division in early spring whilst dormant[200].
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Expert comment                                         
 
      
Author                                         
(L.)R.Br.
                                                                                 
Botanical References                                         
17200
                                                                                 
Links / References                                         

  [K] Ken Fern Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[1]F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
[2]Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World.
Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.
[4]Grieve. A Modern Herbal.
Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.
[6]Mabey. R. Plants with a Purpose.
Details on some of the useful wild plants of Britain. Poor on pictures but otherwise very good.
[9]Launert. E. Edible and Medicinal Plants.
Covers plants in Europe. a drawing of each plant, quite a bit of interesting information.
[21]Lust. J. The Herb Book.
Lots of information tightly crammed into a fairly small book.
[46]Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants.
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
[61]Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man.
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.
[105]Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World.
The most comprehensive guide to edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.
[128]Laing. and Blackwell. Plants of New Zealand.
An old flora of New Zealand in a readable style. Some details of plant uses.
[138]Bird. R. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 3.
Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation.
[153]Brooker. S. G., Cambie. R. C. and Cooper. R. C. Economic Native Plants of New Zealand.
An interesting and readable book on the useful plants of New Zealand.
[178]Stuart. Rev. G. A. Chinese Materia Medica.
A translation of an ancient Chinese herbal. Fascinating.
[179]Reid. B. E. Famine Foods of the Chiu-Huang Pen-ts'ao.
A translation of an ancient Chinese book on edible wild foods. Fascinating.
[200]Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
[222]Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America.
A concise book dealing with almost 500 species. A line drawing of each plant is included plus colour photographs of about 100 species. Very good as a field guide, it only gives brief details about the plants medicinal properties.
[266] Flora of China
On-line version of the Flora - an excellent resource giving basic info on habitat and some uses.

Readers comment                                         
 
Elizabeth H.
Ray Mon Jul 7 07:11:37 2003

Link: Morning Glory Corner Calystegia Information
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