"Gee, look at the pretty flowers." When we moved in, there was a clump of this stuff flowering in one of the flower beds east of the house. We thought it was pretty-- and it was one of the few things growing here.
What we didn't know was, it's called Field Bindweed. It looks a little like morning glory, because it's in the same family, and is sometimes called "wild morning glory." But it's a different animal, so to speak. For those who survived the 70s, its seeds do not contain the hallucinagenic lysergic acid (and it's therefore safe for goats to eat), but the dissimilarity does not end there. It is a virulent, invasive weed whose extensive root system goes up to 20 feet deep, and whose seeds can sprout up to 50 years after they mature.
This year, we have bindweed on the north, east, and south of the house, and it's spreading fast. It was choking my flower garden, so I pulled huge handfuls of the stuff. The lady at the Extension Service said, "Don't even bother to pull it, it just makes it worse." I hate to use chemicals, but this morning I got out the Roundup, mixed it extra strong, and sprayed the heck out of the bindweed. Hopefully that will help reverse the infestation.
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