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Rumex obtusifolius
Also called Bitter Dock, Butter Dock, Round-Leaved Dock, Broadleaf Dock, Broad Leaved Dock, Bitter Dock, Blunt Leaved Dock, Burnt Dock
Broad-leaved dock is a tough perennial herb with large, wavy, oval leaves and a deep taproot, often seen as a weed on farmland, roadsides and waste ground. It is hard to remove once established and spreads readily from seed.
Rumex obtusifolius, commonly known as bitter dock, broad-leaved dock, bluntleaf dock, dock leaf, dockens or butter dock, is a perennial plant in the family Polygonaceae. It is native to Europe, but is found on all temperate continents. It is a highly invasive species in some zones, resulting from its abundant seed dispersal, adaptability to reproduce, aggressive roots, ability to tolerate extreme climates, and hardiness.
Rumex obtusifolius is widely distributed throughout the world. It is a plant growing readily on arable land, meadows, waste ground, roadsides, ditches, shorelines, riverbanks, woodland margins, forest clearings, and orchards. Seedlings can be identified by the oval leaves with red stems and rolled leaves sprouting from the center of the plant. Regrowth from the rosette usually takes place in spring.
Uses of broad leaved dock include as a laxative, astringent, and cooking ingredient. The young leaves can be eaten as greens, but they become bitter early in the growing season.
Sorrel · Sheep's Sorrel · Curled Dock · Toothed dock · Cape spinach · Patience Dock · Fiddle Dock · Garden Sorrel · Rambling dock · Willow dock · French sorrel · Dock
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Rumex obtusifolius by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
Pet safety from the ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists.
