# red bistort (*Bistorta amplexicaulis*)

Red bistort is a beautiful plant with tall, pinkish-red flowers that bloom in the summer. It grows in grassy areas and is loved by butterflies and bees!

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Mountain regions

![red bistort](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/%28MHNT%29_Persicaria_amplexicaulis_Blackfield_-_Les_Martels%252C_Giroussens_Tarn.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%28MHNT%29_Persicaria_amplexicaulis_Blackfield_-_Les_Martels%252C_Giroussens_Tarn.jpg)

## Appearance

The red bistort has striking upright spikes of small, vibrant rosy-pink to crimson flowers that look like tiny bottle brushes. Its broad, pointed leaves are often a rich green, forming dense clumps.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Caryophyllales
- **Family:** Polygonaceae
- **Genus:** Bistorta

## Interesting facts

- Its common name "bistort" means "twice twisted" because of its root shape.
- This super tough plant can even grow high up in cold mountain areas!
- Wow! The plant's roots were once used to make a red dye!
- Young red bistort leaves can be cooked and eaten like spinach!

## Special abilities

- **Rhizome Power:** Red bistort can spread widely using strong underground stems called rhizomes, helping it form big colonies.
- **Nectar Beacon:** Its bright pink flower spikes act like a colorful sign, drawing in helpful insects for pollination.
- **High-Altitude Hero:** Red bistort has adapted to grow in cool mountain meadows, surviving where many other plants can't.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 30-120 cm
- **Spread:** 30-60 cm
- **Flower Size:** 0.2-0.5 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Summer to Fall
- **Edible:** Yes
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Honey bees collect nectar and pollen from its flowers.
- **Pollinates:** buff-tailed bumblebee (*Bombus terrestris*) — Bumblebees are important visitors, helping spread its pollen.
- **Eaten by:** [roe deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/roe-deer) (*Capreolus capreolus*) — Roe deer sometimes browse on its leaves in natural habitats.

## Traits

- [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
- [Summer Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/summer-blooming): Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished.
- [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [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.
- [Mountain](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/mountain): This habitat trait identifies species found in mountainous regions, characterized by high elevation, steep slopes, and varying climate zones.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always look but don't touch plants unless a grown-up says it's okay.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify red bistort?

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 red bistort?

30-120 cm

### How wide does red bistort spread?

30-60 cm

### How big are the flowers on red bistort?

0.2-0.5 cm

### When does red bistort bloom?

Summer to Fall

### Is red bistort edible?

Yes

### Is red bistort toxic?

None

### What is red bistort's lifecycle?

Perennial

## 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*)

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Source: [Red Bistort: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-bistort)