# 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! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 8 - **Habitat:** Wetlands ![water smartweed](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Fig._04_Polygonatum_amphibium.jpg&width=800) Photo: Ruppia2000, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fig._04_Polygonatum_amphibium.jpg) ## 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. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Caryophyllales - **Family:** Polygonaceae - **Genus:** Persicaria ## 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 - **Shape-shifting Leaves:** Water smartweed has different leaf shapes – floating pads in water, and upright blades on land – that help it thrive in changing environments. - **Underwater Roots:** Water smartweed can grow long, creeping roots underwater that help it anchor firmly and spread widely across the pond floor. - **Floating Seeds:** 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](https://www.snappit.app/explore/waterlily-leaf-beetle) (*Galerucella nymphaeae*) — larvae and adults feed on its leaves. ## Traits - [Herbaceous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/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](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. - [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption. - [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. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/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. - [Freshwater](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/freshwater): Freshwater habitats include non-saline aquatic environments such as rivers, lakes, ponds, and wetlands, vital for numerous species. - [Aquatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aquatic): Aquatic habitats encompass environments where organisms live predominantly in water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always stay close to an adult when exploring near water plants. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify water smartweed? 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 water smartweed? 30-100 cm ### How wide does water smartweed spread? 50-200 cm ### How big are the flowers on water smartweed? 0.3-0.4 cm ### When does water smartweed bloom? Summer to Fall ### Is water smartweed edible? Yes ### Is water smartweed toxic? None ### What is water smartweed's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Circleville Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/circleville-historic-district) — Ohio, US · Historic District - [Gensburg-Markham Prairie](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/gensburg-markham-prairie) — Illinois, US · Nature Reserve - [Grand Caverns](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/grand-caverns) — Virginia, US · Natural Landmark - [Hakone Gardens](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/hakone-gardens) — California, US · Botanical Garden - [Lock and Dam No. 17](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/lock-and-dam-no-17) — Illinois, US · Historic Site - [Sedgwick County Zoo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/sedgwick-county-zoo) — Kansas, US · Zoo [View all places to see water smartweed](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/water-smartweed) ## 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: [Water Smartweed: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/water-smartweed)