North of the Adirondacks
WiseAcre Gardens An Unusual Site Planted by a Blooming Looneytic |
North Country Wildflowers |
Swamp Smartweed![]() Sept. 18, 2008 - Higley Flow, Colton, NY Polygonum coccineumRequirements: Soil Type - most - wet
Characteristics: Height Average - 1 - 4 ft.
Swamp Smartweed can grow as a terrestrial or aquatic form. In fluctuating water levels it can be both. |
Wildflowers
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by common name
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Smartweeds can be recognized by the swelling and sheath around the stem where leaves are attached.
Smartweeds have terminal flower spikes - Knotweeds have flowers that form at the leaf axils.
Polygonums are nonpoisonous plants and some are used as food.
While all can be eaten some have such a bitter acrid taste that they are not recommended.
Leaves are used as a cooked greens or added raw in salads.
Buckwheat and Rubarb belong to the same family - Polygonaceae