Convolvulus naniflorus

Botanical name: Convolvulus naniflorus
Synonyms: Calystegia marginata
Common name(s): Small-flowered white bindweed

About:
A delicate indigenous climbing vine with bright green arrow-shaped leaves, tiny white bell-shaped flowers and slender twining stems. Despite its resemblance to introduced bindweeds, this is a naturally uncommon native species valued for its unusual foliage and adaptability to coastal environments.

Natural habitat:
Coastal shrublands, rough pasture, bracken communities, roadside margins, railway embankments and open lowland habitats.

Growing environment:
Thrives in open sunny sites with moderate moisture and free-draining soils. Particularly suited to coastal conditions, grassy banks and lightly disturbed successional habitats.

Endemic distribution:
Indigenous to New Zealand and eastern Australia. In New Zealand found from Te Paki south to Aotea Harbour in the west and Ahuahu / Great Mercury Island in the east, with records from Rekohu / Chatham Island.

Height:
Trailing or climbing stems extending several metres

Width:
Spreading indefinitely by creeping rhizomes and rooting stems

Flowering:
Present throughout the year, peaking in spring and summer

Fruiting:
Present throughout the year

Uses:

• Coastal gardens
• Native groundcover plantings
• Rock walls and banks
• Bach and seaside gardens
• Low native vine plantings
• Ecological restoration

Appearance:
Growth habit:
Glabrous perennial vine with slender twining or prostrate stems arising from creeping rhizomes. Prostrate stems root freely at the nodes.

Foliage:
Leaves bright green, narrowly sagittate to triangular with distinctive fish-tail-like basal lobes and rounded basal sinuses. Foliage is hairless and delicate in appearance.

Flowers:
Usually solitary small white bell-shaped flowers carried on narrow winged stalks.

Flower colours:
White

Fruit:
Small globose capsules containing black reticulately ribbed seeds with prominent surface protuberances.

Ecology:
An indigenous coastal and lowland vine associated with open successional habitats. Capsules may be dispersed by water and wind. Often vulnerable to weed-control spraying due to confusion with introduced convolvulus species.

Associated habitats:
Found among coastal scrub, bracken communities, open grassland and disturbed lowland vegetation.

How to grow:
Easy to grow in warm frost-free coastal conditions. Prefers open sunny positions and can spread readily where conditions suit. Useful for softening rock walls or stabilising grassy banks.

Propagation:
Very easy from fresh seed and also capable of spreading vegetatively by rooting stems and rhizomes.

Cultural use:
An uncommon indigenous vine recognised as part of New Zealand’s native coastal and lowland flora.

Garden value:
An attractive and unusual small native climber suited to coastal and informal gardens. Its fine foliage, tiny white flowers and spreading habit make it useful for covering banks, low walls and open sunny spaces.