Pygmy smartweed (Polygonum minus)

At a glance

Lifecycle
Annual
Exposure
Full sun

Cultivation

Succeeds in an ordinary garden soil. Plants seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits.

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in a cold frame. Germination is usually free and easy. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer if they have reached sufficient size. If not, overwinter them in a cold frame and plant them out the following spring after the last expected frosts.

Edible uses

Leaves - raw or cooked. Eaten in curries. Seed - raw or cooked. It is rather small and fiddly to utilize.

Habitat

Wet marshy places and besides lakes and ponds.

Native range

Europe, including Britain, from Scandanavia south and east to Spain and temperate Asia.

Scientific synonyms Persicaria minor

Same genus