Polygonum tinctorium

At a glance

Lifecycle: Annual
Exposure: Full sun

Cultivation

Succeeds in an ordinary garden soil. A frost tender plant, it can be grown as a half-hardy annual in Britain. This plant used to be cultivated as a dye plant. 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

Young plant - cooked. Seed - raw or cooked. It is rather small and fiddly to utilize.

Medicinal uses

The stems and the leaves are antidote, anti-inflammatory, antiphlogistic, antipyretic and depurative. The leaves and fruits are used in Korea to help protect the liver and to treat burns and food poisoning caused by eating fish. The fruits are antidote and febrifuge. The plant is anti-inflammatory.

Material uses

A blue dye is obtained from the leaves of this plant.

Habitat

Weed infested places.

Native range

E. Europe to E. Asia.