This relative of rhubarb is a hardy herbaceous perennial weed native to Europe that has naturalized in the US. Today's featured plant is Curly Dock, Rumex crispus. It provides food for at least 6-9 months, and year-round in some climates. Curly dock (Rumex crispus), also known as sour dock, yellow dock, narrowleaf dock, or curled dock, is a perennial weed native to Europe, Asia, and parts of Africa.Curly dock was introduced into the U.S., possibly arriving as a seed contaminant in the early 1600’s when the British brought crops and cattle to New England 1.The weed has spread to every U.S. state and Canadian … Rumex crispus, the curly dock, curled dock or yellow dock, is a perennial flowering plant in the family Polygonaceae, native to Europe and Western Asia. Published: April 13, 2015. Seeds germinate from late spring through early fall producing seedlings. Curly Dock Rumex crispus Knotweed family (Polygonaceae) Description: This herbaceous perennial plant is 1–3' tall and little branched, except where the flowers occur. Initially, it consists of a rosette of basal leaves about 1' across. Curly dock (also known as yellow dock, sour dock, and butter dock, as well as other names) is one of the first wild greens ready to harvest in spring. Bad Farm Forage, Good Folk Food.

This is one of the most healthy, beautiful curly dock plants I've ever seen. On the stalk flowers and seeds are produced in clusters on … Curly dock is called curly dock because it tends to have wavy leaf margins. Range and Identification of Curly Dock. This perennial plant is not usually a problem in cultivated row crops. Yellow dock has been used as a multi-purpose plant for centuries. The seeds are useful and interestingly, yellow dock seeds are viable for up to 80 years. A flowering stalk bolts from this rosette during the late spring. The seeds are useful and interestingly, yellow dock seeds are viable for up to 80 years. Younger plants tend to have foliage with less curly margins. Mature foliage is generally narrow with very wavy leaf margins. This plant is also known as curled dock, narrow dock and curly leaf dock. by Erica Marciniec, www.wildfoodgirl.com Stare out across the empty lots and fields on the outskirts of Denver, Colorado, and you will see scattered clumps of dark green leaves towering above the grass. The plant reaches as much as 4 feet tall at maturity. Identification. hymenosepalus (wild rhubarb) is common in the desert in the American Southwest.It is larger and more succulent than many other docks. Broad leaf dock top, curly dock bottom. The aerial parts are a food source and the roots have strong medicinal values. Initially, it consists of a rosette of basal leaves about 1' across. The leaves are fairly thick and the stems can get a tinge of red, especially in cold weather. The leaves of curley dock are rich in quercetin and myricetin, both powerful flavonoids with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory properties.While quercetin also offer antihistaminic properties, … Flowering occurs primarily in June. Curly dock is good forage for humans, though such is not the case for livestock. Plants resprout from taproots. The “curly” moniker comes from the wavy or crisped margins that often characterize the leaves and “sour” speaks to their pleasing, lemony flavor. Curly dock seeds germinate in cool, moist soil from late spring through early fall as conditions permit. A related weed can also grow to be as much as 4 feet tall: bitter, or "broadleaf" dock (Rumex obtusifolius).But it is easy to tell the two apart: True to its name, the broadleaf type has bottom, or "basal" leaves that are very wide (4 inches across, versus 1 inch across for yellow dock plants).

Curly dock (Rumex crispus L.) Life Cycle: Simple perennial.