Bindweed

Bindweed is unjustly reviled by gardeners or otherwise ignored, It is a beautiful plant. Acrylics and coloured pencil on paper – 24 x 32 cm

£350.00

Bindweed (Calystegia sepium) may now have little importance except to gardeners, many of whom rely on its vulnerability to the carcinogen glyphosate to destroy it. But it has not always been thus.

The many names of Bindweed

Consider this (certainly incomplete) list of other common names for Bindweed. Apart from its popularity with children, there is an affection here for this tenacious vine.

  • Barbine
  • Bearbind
  • Belbine
  • Belle of the ball
  • Bethwine
  • Bride’s gown
  • Bugle vine
  • Cornbine
  • Devil’s guts
  • Granny-jumps-out-of-bed
  • Heavenly trumpets
  • Hedge bindweed
  • Hedge convolvulus
  • Hedgebell
  • Hooded bindweed
  • Lady
  • Lady-jump-out-of-bed
  • Old man’s nightcap
  • Robin-run-the-hedge
  • Rutland beauty
  • Snake’s meat
  • Sussex lily
  • Waywind
  • Wedlock
  • White witches hat
  • Wild lily
  • Wild morning glory
  • Withybine
  • Withywind

My copy of Wayside and Woodland Blossoms from the 1920s describes bindweed as ‘one of the most distinguished of our wild flowers…’ – if I can make some small change to the perception of this beautiful and tenacious vine, then that would be a good thing.

Bindweed repays attention

Giving close attention to ‘ordinary’ plants and ‘weeds’ helps us to care for them. In my view, there is something almost miraculous about the proliferation of leaves and flowers on this extraordinary plant. I was tempted to add a small angle shades moth (Euplexia lucipara), since bindweed is one of its food plants, but I decided it would make the painting too busy.

If you like this painting, you might also care for this one of Himalayan Balsam, or this Wild Rose.