Most Smartweeds are warm-season annuals. Their flower bracts are rather pretty, ranging from pure white to dark pink with some forms displaying multiple colors. They get their common name from the burning juice inside their stems - some people are sensitive to it. The seeds of this plant are often eaten by birds.
Polygonum thrive where water and sunshine are abundant. Control by hand pulling or hoeing them out. They spread readily by seed, so if you decide you like the flowers, keep them well away from your more refined garden areas.
This group of weeds are close cousins to the ornamental known as Knotweed. Despite its common name, this weed has no native intelligence.
Genus: Polygonum
Species: various
Family: Polygonaceae
Common Name: Smartweed
Origin: Native
All contents © Travis Saling
This page was last updated
November 18, 2013