water smartweed

Persicaria amphibia

Water smartweed is a fun plant that grows in wet places like ponds and marshes. It has pretty green leaves and tiny pink flowers that attract butterflies and bees!

Habitat: Wetlands

Appearance

The water smartweed is a unique plant with bright pink to reddish-purple flower spikes that rise above the water or grow on land. Its leaves can be narrow and floating, or broader and erect, changing shape depending on its environment.

KingdomPlantaePhylumTracheophytaClassMagnoliopsidaOrderCaryophyllalesFamilyPolygonaceaeGenusPersicaria

water smartweed

Interesting facts

Ancient people sometimes made a spicy tea from its leaves and stems!

Its small flowers cluster into fuzzy pink "bottlebrushes" that bees adore!

Sometimes, tiny galls (lumps) form on its stems where insects hide inside!

The seeds can lie dormant in mud for over 60 years and still sprout!

Special abilities

Water smartweed has different leaf shapes – floating pads in water, and upright blades on land – that help it thrive in changing environments.

Water smartweed can grow long, creeping roots underwater that help it anchor firmly and spread widely across the pond floor.

Water smartweed produces special seeds that can float on water, helping them travel to new places to grow and reproduce.

Measurements & details

Height: 30-100 cm
Spread: 50-200 cm
Flower Size: 0.3-0.4 cm
Bloom Season: Summer to Fall
Edible: Yes
Toxicity: None
Lifecycle: Perennial
Pollination Method: Insect

Ecological connections

pollinates

European honey bee

Apis mellifera

collects nectar and pollen from its flowers.

eats

Mallard duck

Anas platyrhynchos

forages for its nutritious seeds in shallow water.

eaten by

Marsh pondsnail

Stagnicola elodes

grazes on its submerged leaves and tender shoots.

eats

Waterlily leaf beetle

Galerucella nymphaeae

larvae and adults feed on its leaves.

Traits

Herbaceous

Herbaceous plants are non-woody plants with soft stems that typically die back to the ground at the end of the growing season.

Flowering

Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.

Medicinal

Medicinal plants possess chemical compounds that can be used for therapeutic purposes to treat illnesses or maintain health.

Edible

Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption.

Pollinator Magnet

Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.

Rapid Growing

Rapid growing plants exhibit accelerated growth rates, quickly increasing in size and biomass within a short period.

Wetland

This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs.