# Prostrate Knotweed (*Polygonum aviculare*) Prostrate Knotweed is a low-growing plant that spreads out along the ground. It has small green leaves and tiny flowers that can be white or pink. You can often find it in gardens and along paths. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 2 - **Habitat:** Urban areas ![Prostrate Knotweed](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Polygonum_aviculare_4.JPG&width=800) Photo: Dalgial, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Polygonum_aviculare_4.JPG) ## Appearance The Prostrate Knotweed is a low-growing plant with slender, sprawling stems that hug the ground. Its small, oval to lance-shaped leaves often have a slight blue-green tint and are clustered at the stem nodes, making it look like a dense, mat-like ground cover. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Caryophyllales - **Family:** Polygonaceae - **Genus:** Polygonum ## Interesting facts - Despite its name, the stems don't actually tie themselves in real knots! - Its scientific name, \*Polygonum\*, means 'many knees' due to its jointed stems! - This plant’s tiny seeds can sprout after sleeping in the soil for over 80 years! - Young Prostrate Knotweed leaves are edible and taste a bit like spinach! ## Special abilities - **Soil Hugger:** Prostrate Knotweed can spread a dense mat of stems and roots that helps it grip the soil tightly, preventing erosion. - **Resilient Seeder:** Prostrate Knotweed produces many small seeds that can remain viable in the soil for decades, helping it re-emerge. - **Tough Root Anchor:** Prostrate Knotweed has a strong taproot that helps it find water and nutrients even in compacted or disturbed soils. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 5-30 cm - **Spread:** 30-100 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.1-0.3 cm - **Bloom Season:** Summer-fall - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Annual - **Pollination Method:** Self ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** Honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Provides nectar for visiting bees. - **Eaten by:** Beet armyworm (*Spodoptera exigua*) — Larvae feed on leaves and stems. - **Eaten by:** [House sparrow](https://www.snappit.app/explore/house-sparrow) (*Passer domesticus*) — Birds consume its small seeds. ## Traits - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Medicinal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/medicinal): Medicinal plants possess chemical compounds that can be used for therapeutic purposes to treat illnesses or maintain health. - [Drought Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/drought-tolerant): Drought-tolerant plants can survive and flourish in conditions with limited water availability. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Rapid Growing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/rapid-growing): Rapid growing plants exhibit accelerated growth rates, quickly increasing in size and biomass within a short period. - [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always check with an adult before touching or picking plants. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Prostrate Knotweed? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is Prostrate Knotweed? 5-30 cm ### How wide does Prostrate Knotweed spread? 30-100 cm ### How big are the flowers on Prostrate Knotweed? 0.1-0.3 cm ### When does Prostrate Knotweed bloom? Summer-fall ### Is Prostrate Knotweed edible? Yes ### Is Prostrate Knotweed toxic? None ### What is Prostrate Knotweed's lifecycle? Annual ## Where to spot - [Clinton Hill Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/clinton-hill-historic-district) — New York, US · Historic District - [Naval Station Great Lakes](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/naval-station-great-lakes) — Illinois, US · Campus - [Queens Vietnam Veterans Memorial](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/queens-vietnam-veterans-memorial) — New York, US · Nature Reserve - [Lake Washington Boulevard](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/lake-washington-boulevard) — Washington, US · Historic Site [View all places to see Prostrate Knotweed](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/prostrate-knotweed) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Prostrate Knotweed: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/prostrate-knotweed)