Plant · GBIF taxon 2889198
pinkweed
Persicaria pensylvanicaAlso known as Pennsylvania Smartweed, Common Smartweed, Pink Knotweed
Pennsylvania smartweed forms dense stands along mudflats, riverbanks, and damp fields, crowning its branched stems with thick spikes of rose-pink blossoms. The plant flowers continuously from midsummer until the first frost, producing thousands of smooth, shiny black seeds that sustain migrating waterfowl. Papery sheaths surrounding each stem node lack the bristly fringes common to closely related knotweeds.
WildflowerWetlandAnnual
1 / 7—observations
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Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Autotrophic
Predators
- Waterfowl
- Songbirds
- Herbivorous Insects
ThreatsHerbicide spraying, wetland drainage
HabitatsWetlands, riverbanks, ditches, moist disturbed soils
Life spanAnnual
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- OrderCaryophyllales
- FamilyPolygonaceae
- GenusPersicaria
- SpeciesPersicaria pensylvanica
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Plant sap can irritate sensitive skin; avoid crushing leaves or rubbing eyes after handling.
- Why it is dangerous
- Acrid sap can cause mild skin irritation and redness, particularly when crushed against bare skin.
- How to recognize a risky encounter
- Look for reddish-green swollen stem nodes and dense pink flower spikes lacking bristly hair fringes.
- What to do
- Wear gloves when pulling dense patches, and avoid touching eyes or mouth after touching the plant.
Responsible observation
- Habitat Spotting: Search for pink flower spikes along wet roadside ditches, lake edges, and low-lying agricultural fields.
- Identification Cue: Examine the papery sheath at leaf bases, which is smooth and lacks long hairs along the top margin.
Seed Disperser This picture was realized by Richard Bartz by using a Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Lens / CC BY-SA 2.5 · cc-by-sa
Close Relative no rights reserved, uploaded by Pam Martin · cc0
Close Relative (c) Kevin Krebs, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Kevin Krebs · cc-by
Close Relative
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