What exactly is this and how do I get rid of it??

This vine has been threatening to take over my backyard garden areas. It wraps around the other plants, threatening to choke them off, and springs up everywhere. It is all along the fence. I have been spending a lot of time pulling it up, but I can see it is also in the yards of the 2 neighbors at the back of my lot.

Is it some kind of morning glory vine or bindweed? It has small *blue/purple* flowers which bloom in midspring, then no more flowers. The leaves do not oppose each other--they are just straight down the vine, rather widely spaced, giving it a very leggy look.

Any suggestions for how to get rid of it, aside from continuing to pull it up when I see it, and perhaps even talking to my two rear neighbors about it? One neighbor was complaining about it also, and the other neighbor has it only in one corner of their yard; I don't think anyone planted it.

Thanks for any suggestions.

For an ID, posting on the Plant Identification forum will result in a far greater viewing, and likely more satisfactory results.

thanks, Greenthumb.

Looks like a milkweed vine. Try googling that and see if it is.

CatMint, I have the same vine in some of my beds. I discovered it years ago, not long after we bought our house, while tearing out an old flower bed left by the previous owner. Had I realized how agressive it is I would have tried harder to eradicate it before putting in new plants. Now I have too much planted to want to spray anything. Also, unlike some other weeds, it's hard to really see where it is until it starts growing (very fast) and wrapping around other plants.

Like you, I just keep pulling it off of other plants which just breaks the very thin vines.

I believe it is bindweed. I have it too, but I think it is native here. Like most weeds, if you keep at it you can pretty much get rid of it. Like I said it's native here but is doesn't seem to seed in the garden to often, I pull it whenever I see it. Larger patches could be dealt with by spraying round-up, but I've had some good success with just pulling it.

Bindweed - on the invasives list in about 50 states.... grows even in Colorado and turns the pastures white with blooms...

It's more likely to be morning glory if it has the little flowers. But personally, I don't really make a distinction between morning glory and bindweed. They are both extremely invasive and almost impossible to eliminate.

I might not be using the proper terminology here, but basically they both have roots that spread wide as well as downwards. So anytime you think you've gotten rid of them, you've prob. just slowed them down. I know that if you inadvertently drop an itty bitty piece of either while transporting to the trash pile, that itty bitty piece will become a whole new 'plant'. Ack!

I have had limited success spraying (carefully) with 20% vinegar. I do that in areas of my otherwise naked yard. But just when I think they're dead and gone for good, I'll see them return.

If you are remotely considering 20% vinegar, be vary aware of the precautions you should take.

So does anyone know how to totally kill bindweed? I would love some advice.

Regarding getting rid of bindweed, read my post on Purslane and Field Vine Bind Weed. I have had pretty goo luck getting rid of it.

You have to really stay on top of the bindweed checking every week for new plants etc.