Northern Dock
Rumex longifolius
Its crushed leaves are a traditional country remedy applied to soothe the burning sting of nearby growing nettles.
- Scientific name
- Rumex longifolius
- Taxonomy
- Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Caryophyllales › Polygonaceae › Rumex
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- grassland
- Habitat
- Meadows, pastures, roadsides, riverbanks, and disturbed ground.
- Diet
- Photosynthetic (sunlight, water, carbon dioxide, and soil nutrients).
- Range
- North America, Northern Europe, Northern Asia
- Size
- 60 to 120 cm tall
- Lifespan
- 3 to 5 years (perennial)
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Intensive agricultural practices and heavy herbicide application.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless. Safe to touch and observe. While historically used in folk herbalism, do not ingest wild plants without expert identification due to high oxalic acid content.
Rumex longifolius , commonly known as the dooryard dock or northern dock , is a perennial species of plant in the genus Rumex .
Photo: George Pushkal, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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