dangerous bindweed
A deputy from the Communist Party faction in the State Duma, Sergei Gavrilov, warned Russians against growing the tricolor morning glory at their dachas, according to RIA News.
He stated that the popular multi colored garden flower, known to many summer residents as bindweed or gramophone, should not be cultivated on plots owned by retirees and hobby gardeners. The deputy warned that someone who grows the tricolor morning glory may face criminal penalties, including up to two years in prison. He noted that certain seeds contain substances with narcotic effects that can distort perception and affect the central nervous system, potentially leading to addiction.
Gavrilov also noted that having more than 100 bindweed plants on a site could be treated as a law violation, and possession of even a small amount of plant seeds could constitute a crime in his view.
Don’t get banned
The deputy emphasized that gardeners could face penalties if they fail to remove wild plants containing narcotic substances. He described bindweed as a weed that spreads rapidly along fields, roadsides, and in bushes, growing almost everywhere.
Evgeny Abizov, Associate Professor in the Department of Doping and Drug Control at the Russian Chemical Technology University, commented that a layperson may have trouble distinguishing morning glory tricolor from similar plants. He explained that Ipomoea is common and can be grown as an ornamental plant on trellises, making identification tricky for non-experts.
Abizov advised gardeners to select seeds from reputable brands to avoid accidentally obtaining seeds with prohibited qualities. He also noted that even if morning glory is planted by chance, it is not difficult to remove the plant.
Perennial bindweeds may require rhizome removal, while annual bindweeds produce abundant seeds that survive year to year and should be weeded out and dug up.
Conclusions for summer residents
In February, the Russian government added twelve substances to the list of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances under state control. The additions included synthetic cannabinoids, tryptamines, and benzodiazepines. In the same decision, the Council of Ministers expanded the list of controlled plants whose use in Russia can produce narcotic effects. Ipomoea tricolor and related species were added to this list.
Valentin Vvedensky, head of the Department of Genetics, Plant Breeding and Plant Protection at a major university, commented that gardeners may not have expected that morning glory tricolor could carry narcotic effects. He suggested that this news would not disappoint many gardeners, noting that there are white, lilac, blue, and yellow variants of bindweed available in stores. He did not think this would greatly impact the diversity of flower beds or landscape elements.
Vvedensky added that morning glory tricolor tends to grow in warmer regions because it cannot withstand low temperatures, typically not surviving at 3 to 4 degrees Celsius. As a result, in central Russia it behaves as an annual plant.
Source attribution: This summary references coverage from RIA News and statements made by university experts and government officials as reported by media outlets.