Care of the climbing plant Convolvulus althaeoides or Mallow bindweed |
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The genus Convolvulus, family Convolvulaceae, includes 600 species of herbaceous climbing plants and shrubs with a cosmopolitan distribution. Some species are: Convolvulus althaeoides, Convolvulus canariensis, Convolvulus sabatius, Convolvulus cneorum, Convolvulus tricolor, Convolvulus sepium, Convolvulus floridus, Convolvulus mauritanicus. Common names: Mallow bindweed, Mallow-leaved bindweed. This species is native to the Mediterranean Basin. They are perennial climbing plants with herbaceous stems (woody at the base with age) that reach 3 meters (9.84 feet) in length. The alternate leaves are hastate or triangular in shape and are grayish-green in color. The showy bell-shaped flowers of 5 cm (1.96") in diameter can be white, pink or lilac. They bloom in summer. They are used to cover slopes, in rockeries, to cover walls and fences (they need supports to climb) and in pots for patios and terraces. Convolvulus althaeoides needs full sun exposure and a warm or temperate climate. They resist frosts down to -10 ºC (14 ºF) but lose the aerial part that sprouts again in spring. They grow in any light and very well drained soil, even in poor, dry and stony soil. Water moderately in summer, waiting until the substrate has completely dried; the rest of the year they are maintained with the rains. They resist drought very well. They do not need fertilizer. Prune after flowering to control growth and expansion; they tend to become invasive plants. They are resistant plants to the usual pests and diseases. They are propagated from seeds sown in spring. |
Images of the climbing plant Convolvulus althaeoides or Mallow bindweed |
 Convolvulus althaeoides |