bindweeds edible?

[ramblingrabbit]

I was going to ask if "bindweed" was a safe weed to feed rabbits, but then I learned that there are actually over 1600 different species that could be known by that name... :shock:

Are plants in the morning glory family, such as the bindweeds, generally safe for rabbits--or with so many species, is it impossible to generalize?

The reason I ask is that there is one species in particular that is growing in some of the weedy areas were I collect fodder and climbing around the other plants I cut from, and if I can determine that it is indeed edible I will consider it a freebie and won't bother pulling it out!

 

[Ivory]

I don't know for sure but I always treat is as though it is NOT suitable for my rabbits.

 

[trinityoaks]

The bindweed from the morning glory family is rabbit-edible. We used to have a TON of it where we lived before. HATED the stuff!! But its one redeeming quality was that the bunnies loved it.

 

[ladysown]

bunnies can/will eat bindweed. i don't feed the flowers though.

 

[dayna]

Hmm I've not seen that here on my island. Can you take a picture of the weed in question?

 

[ramblingrabbit]

Here you go. I know it's always kind of a shot in the dark with identifying weeds like this, but I thought it couldn't hurt.

__________ Sat Jun 22, 2013 10:10 am __________

There's also this one, slightly less widespread but with the same growth habits. This one definitely screams "morning glory" at me--you can see the distinctly telltale flowers.

 

[MaggieJ]

You will find the bindweeds/morning glories on the rabbit plant toxic lists, but it seems to me that the reason for this is the seeds. I would cut off any flowers, just to be safe, and feed in moderation at least at first. I don't seek out bindweed for my rabbits but I don't worry if a bit is twined around a more desirable plant.

 

[trinityoaks]

Neither one of those looks like the bindweed I know. Here is the field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis L.) I'm talking about, sometimes called perennial morning glory:

http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?sym ... 05_ahp.tif

Where I used to live, it is classified as a noxious weed, and eradication on all agricultural property is required by county ordinance. That stuff will twine around anything and everything it possibly can, including itself, and is a dangerous tripping hazard for livestock.

 

[ramblingrabbit]

You will find the bindweeds/morning glories on the rabbit plant toxic lists, but it seems to me that the reason for this is the seeds. I would cut off any flowers, just to be safe, and feed in moderation at least at first. I don't seek out bindweed for my rabbits but I don't worry if a bit is twined around a more desirable plant.

Thank you, Maggie. I wondered why I kept hearing this association between "morning glory" and "toxic..."<br /><br />__________ Sun Jun 23, 2013 10:57 am __________<br /><br />

Where I used to live, it is classified as a noxious weed, and eradication on all agricultural property is required by county ordinance. That stuff will twine around anything and everything it possibly can, including itself, and is a dangerous tripping hazard for livestock.

Wow, how proactive! I can't imagine that flying here--the struggle against noxious weeds is floating somewhere between a lost cause and every-man-for-himself. :lol: 3/4 of the lowland vegetation is non-native, much of it is highly competitive and invasive. And of course, just about all of it is perennial. We must pick our battles very carefully... :rambo:

 

[trinityoaks]

Wow, how proactive! I can't imagine that flying here--the struggle against noxious weeds is floating somewhere between a lost cause and every-man-for-himself.

The county where I lived actually charged a noxious-weed tax (I think it was something like 6 cents per acre) to help pay for eradication.

3/4 of the lowland vegetation is non-native, much of it is highly competitive and invasive.

Weeds there aren't considered noxious merely because they're non-native or because they're invasive. Bindweed in particular is classified as noxious because it's so dangerous. And it's only on agricultural land that eradication is required, not in residential or commercial areas.

 

[ramblingrabbit]

Wow, how proactive! I can't imagine that flying here--the struggle against noxious weeds is floating somewhere between a lost cause and every-man-for-himself.

The county where I lived actually charged a noxious-weed tax (I think it was something like 6 cents per acre) to help pay for eradication.

3/4 of the lowland vegetation is non-native, much of it is highly competitive and invasive.

Weeds there aren't considered noxious merely because they're non-native or because they're invasive. Bindweed in particular is classified as noxious because it's so dangerous. And it's only on agricultural land that eradication is required, not in residential or commercial areas.

Interesting...

 

[JessiL]

Would those folks who either have fed field bindweed successfully, or have a respectable citation for feeding it, share the scientific name of what exactly they are talking about, as well as any handy links? I was under the impression that pretty much all bindweeds are toxic, and have been trying to kill mine (Convulvus arvensis) with any means possible rather than feeding it.

Thanks, Jessi

 

[MaggieJ]

I googled convolvulus arvensis toxicity and found quite a lot of information (some of it contradictory) but nothing definitive. The last link gives some specific findings. I don't think I will be feeding it but I won't freak out if a bit gets in with the other greens.

http://www.bio.brandeis.edu/fieldbio/me ... dweed.html
http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?Lat ... s+arvensis
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7495531
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8592835
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convolvulus_arvensis
http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/p ... &pn=10&sc=

You could also try convolvulus arvensis toxicity rabbits

 

[trinityoaks]

I have successfully fed Convolvulus arvensis L. (shown in the USDA article I linked to above) to my rabbits. It's sometimes called field bindweed or perennial morning glory. I suspect there are other similar-looking weeds that are also referred to as bindweed, but that's the only one I know anything about. I can tell you the stuff grows all over the Texas Panhandle (HORRIBLE stuff, hard to get rid of). I've also seen it in the Ft. Worth-Dallas Metroplex, but it doesn't seem to be nearly as pervasive there. I don't think I've seen any of it (thank GOD!!) in SE Texas or around the San Antonio area. It may prefer a drier climate.

 

[Mickey328]

My chickens LOVE the stuff. They won't eat the stem but they pluck every single leaf off and snarf it down