Convolvulus

Family. Convolvulaceae.

Origin. Mediterranean.

Description. Convolvulus is a perennial plant with small oval, lanceolate, often pubescent leaves up to 10 cm long and up to 6 cm wide, and soft, thin stems, sometimes pubescent. The arrangement of the leaves is alternate.

The flowers are large and beautiful - up to 6 cm in diameter, white, pink, salmon, blue or red, appear from early spring to early autumn, located singly or in 2-3 buds along the entire length of the stem, axillary, with fused petals forming a funnel.

The root system is deep and forms numerous lateral roots.

Height. Stems grow up to 2 m. in length for one season.

How to grow homemade 

Soil 

Well drained substrate with added limestone. 

Reproduction

It is extremely easy to propagate by root cuttings during transplantation, stem cuttings. Seeds sown in spring have good germination. When grown in open ground, it can be difficult to stop the flower from spreading.

Diseases and pests

Rarely.  Aphids may appear from insect pests.

Transplanting 

Adult plants are replanted every 2-3 years, if necessary, the substrate is changed to fresh. Planting is carried out in the spring, with the appearance of new, young shoots and leaves. Some species are grown as annuals and do not need replanting.

Temperature​

Normal room temperature will do, but in winter it should be lowered to 5 - 10° C. 

Lighting

For growing, choose a well-lit place with direct sunlight.

Care

Convolvulus unpretentious and very fast-growing genus, but there are certain agricultural techniques for growing that should be followed. You can provide a small trellis, which the plant will quickly and happily twine around.

Fertilizer

During the growing season, feed monthly with complex fertilizers. Overfeeding can lead to excessive growth of green mass to the detriment of flowering.

Flowering time

Convolvulus blooms from May to September, the flowering period is very long, since the buds constantly replace each other and open sequentially. 

Spraying 

There are no special requirements, you don’t have to spray.

Watering 

Mature vines are drought-resistant, so allow the soil to dry out between waterings. In winter, simply protect the soil from drying out completely.

Purpose

Looks great in hanging baskets, with stems hanging over the edge of the pot. The plant quickly twines around any vertical supports and serves as an excellent decoration for garden gazebos. In the summer months, it can be used for landscaping a balcony.

Note

When growing in open ground, you should carefully choose a place and keep convolvulus under control - it multiplies quickly and fills any free space. Each time, a flower can grow back even from a small piece of root left in the ground, and its destruction can take several years. Many varieties are poisonous and should be kept away from children and pets. Symptoms of poisoning include diarrhea and vomiting, blood in the urine, and speech impairment. 

Varieties:

Convolvulus arvensis

Other names are common convolvulus or birch. A perennial herbaceous vine with thin, light green, flexible stems up to one and a half to two meters long. Young stems of plants of this variety are covered with attractive, delicate pubescence. The leaves are dark green, spear-shaped, reach a length of 5 - 6 cm, arranged alternately, on short petioles. The leaf blades may be slightly bent along the central vein. The flowers are solitary, funnel-shaped, axillary, and can sometimes be collected in small inflorescences. Flower petals can be painted in white, soft pink or lilac shades. The flowers open in sunny weather and can remain semi-closed on cloudy days as well as in the evening and night hours.
Despite its attractive appearance, this plant is a malicious weed - its roots reach a length of 6 m, plants often form anew even from a small piece of root. Thus, getting rid of this convolvulus is very difficult. 

Convolvulus tricolor

A very attractive, flowering, annual, herbaceous plant with erect or lodging stems 30 to 45 cm high. In frost-free climates it can become perennial. The leaves are dark green, glossy, oblong-lanceolate, from 2 to 4 cm long. The flowers are funnel-shaped, bright, large, reaching a diameter of 5 cm. The fused petals of the flowers are painted in several shades at once - the outer circle is usually blue, dark blue, white, lilac, the center of the flowers has a yellow tint, and the middle of the petals is white.

Ipomoea versicolor

A late-flowering plant with long, strong peduncles, on which small buds gradually open, and the flowers located closer to the base of the peduncle are painted in light colors - white, yellow and orange, and towards the top their color becomes darker - red and burgundy. The stems are rigid, often even erect, the leaves are green and palmately dissected. This subspecies received its name because its long peduncles with flowers tremble even with the slightest breeze.