Medicinal Monday - Bitter Dock

Although this unusual plant is not native to New England Bitter Dock or Rumex obtusifolius after it was introduced to New England spread to wetlands, meadows, and fields as well on to the shorelines of rivers and lakes.  Native Americans found several interesting uses for this plant.

About Bitter Dock

This perennial herb is a member of the Polygonaceae family and is easily recognizable by its broad wavy oval leaves that have rounded tips and cordate bases. They are similar to basal leaves. Some of the bottom leaves have red stems.  The flowers bloom in Connecticut from June to October and the seeds ripen from July through October. The flowers cluster in whorls at the top of the plant and each branch has ten to twenty-five flowers that are light green to pink in color. The seeds have sharp spines and pollinate by the wind. Bitter Dock can grow up to three feet tall.  They prefer shady areas with moist soil.

Medicinal Uses

The Chippewa used an infusion of the root as a dermatological aid to treat skin eruptions on children. The Delaware and the Oklahoma had two uses for an infusion of the root as a blood purifier and to treat jaundice. The Iroquois made a compound decoction of the roots and used this to treat blood disorders and, it was also used as a contraceptive. A decoction of the root was given to children to treat whooping cough.

Did you Know...

Young leaves are edible fresh or cooked and get more bitter the older they are.

Because the flowers are wind-pollinated they do not attract insects.  They do attract a number of birds that help spread the seeds to new areas.

In folklore, it is said that touching bitter dock is an antidote to a nettle sting.

In the 1959 Weeds Act, this plant was named one of the five injurious weeds because it proliferated in pasture land.