Black-bindweed

Fallopia convolvulus

Its seeds closely resemble buckwheat, leading to its common nickname 'wild buckwheat', though its climbing habit is entirely distinct.

Scientific name
Fallopia convolvulus
Taxonomy
Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Caryophyllales › Polygonaceae › Fallopia
IUCN Red List status
Least Concern
Population trend
stable
Biome
grassland
Habitat
Cultivated fields, gardens, waste ground, roadsides, and disturbed grasslands.
Diet
Autotrophic (Photosynthetic, absorbing water and nutrients from soil).
Range
Europe, Asia, North America, North Africa
Size
Stems climbing or trailing up to 1 to 1.5 meters
Lifespan
Annual (less than 1 year)
Active
diurnal
Threats
Herbicides, intensive agricultural tilling, and competitive cover crops.
Safe to approach?
Harmless to humans. Safe to touch and observe. Often considered an agricultural weed; if found in gardens, it can be hand-pulled from the base before it sets seed. No medical risk if contacted.

Fallopia convolvulus , the black-bindweed or wild buckwheat , is a fast-growing annual flowering plant in the family Polygonaceae native throughout Europe, Asia and northern Africa. It is an arable plant.

Photo: Roman, CC-BY, via iNaturalist

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