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Arrowleaf Tearthumb

Persicaria sagittata

In the Carolinas and Georgia, found in marshes, bogs, beaver impoundments, wet thickets. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition What its natural habitat tells you

75
Strong

Native to Arkansas. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 100%

Height
About 1 foot
Light
Partial shade, Full sun
Soil moisture
Moist to standing water
Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Life cycle
Annual
Leaves
Deciduous
Bloom
May to December
Fruiting season
Spring to fall

Not yet recorded · Spread

Recorded in 6 Arkansas counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

1 of 3

Forest edges and thickets

Wooded scene looking out over partially open fields
Named place / source context. Shown: Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, Georgia and Tennessee; which part is not recorded, a neighboring state.Wooded scene looking out over partially open fields, Richard Schlecht, undated. Public domain. Source record.

Freshwater marshes

Open, herb-covered wetlands with fresh, non-tidal water.

Ponds, lakes and their shores

Still water and its edges: ponds, lakes, millponds and reservoirs.

All habitats

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Arkansas. Shared habitat, not food. 127 animals.

All wildlife of Arkansas

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

43CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including AR

Genus host records with ranges including AR · Polygonum

  • Achyra rantalisGarden Webworm Moth
  • Acronicta insularisHenry's Marsh Moth, Cattail Caterpillar
  • Acronicta oblinitaSmeared Dagger
  • Anticlea multiferataMany-Lined Carpet
  • Apantesis argeArge Tiger Moth
  • Apantesis naisNais Tiger Moth
  • Archips semiferanusOak Leafroller Moth
  • Calothysanis amaturariaCross-Lined Wave
  • Chionodes discoocellellaEyeringed Chionodes
  • Costaconvexa centrostrigariaBent-Lined Carpet
Show all 43
  • Dypterygia rozmaniAmerican Bird's-Wing
  • Elophila icciusalisPondside Pyralid, Pondside Crambid
  • Elophila obliteralisWaterlily Leafcutter Moth
  • Emmelina monodactylaMorning-Glory Plume Moth
  • Epiblema otiosanaBidens Borer Moth
  • Eusarca confusariaConfused Eusarca
  • Feltia subterraneaSubterranean Dart, Granulate Cutworm
  • Haematopis gratariaChickweed Geometer
  • Helicoverpa zeaCorn Earworm Moth
  • Homophoberia apicosaBlack Wedge-Spot, Smartweed Groundling
  • Hyles lineataWhite-Lined Sphinx
  • Hypena scabraGreen Cloverworm Bomolocha, Black Snout
  • Maliattha synochitisBlack-Dotted Lithacodia, Black-Dotted Glyph, Brass-Dotted Grass Moth
  • Melanchra pictaPainted Arches, Zebra Caterpillar Moth
  • Melanolophia canadariaCanadian Melanolphia, Variable Redmarked Looper
  • Metarranthis duariaRuddy Metarranthis
  • Nephelodes miniansBronzed Cutworm
  • Nomophila nearcticaLucerne Moth, American Celery Webworm
  • Orthonama obstipataThe Gem
  • Ostrinia obumbratalisSmartweed Borer
  • Ostrinia penitalisAmerican Lotus Borer, Lily Moth
  • Parapoynx obscuralisObscure Pondweed Moth
  • Patania silicalisHerbivorous Patania, Herbivorous Pleuroptya
  • Prochoerodes lineolaLarge Maple Spanworm Moth
  • Pseudeustrotia carneolaPink-Barred Lithacodia, Pink-Barred Pseudeustrotia
  • Pyrrhia exprimensPurple-Lined Sallow, Purple-Lined Sun Moth
  • Saucrobotys futilalisDogbane Saucrobotys
  • Schinia spinosaeSpinose Flower Moth
  • Scopula limboundataLarge Lace-Border
  • Spilosoma congruaAgreeable Tiger Moth
  • Spilosoma virginicaVirginian Tiger Moth, Yellow Woolybear Moth, Yellow Bear
  • Strymon melinusGray Hairstreak
  • Tharsalea hyllusBronze Copper
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
34BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Persicaria

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
0Specialist beesPollen specialists
58BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Polygonum

  • Agelaius phoeniceusRed-winged Blackbird
  • Aix sponsaWood Duck
  • Alectoris chukarChukar
  • Anas acutaNorthern Pintail
  • Anas creccaGreen-winged Teal
  • Anas platyrhynchosMallard
  • Anser albifronsGreater White-fronted Goose
  • Anthus rubescensAmerican Pipit
  • Aythya affinisLesser Scaup
  • Aythya americanaRedhead
Show all 58
  • Aythya collarisRing-necked Duck
  • Aythya valisineriaCanvasback
  • Bonasa umbellusRuffed Grouse
  • Bucephala clangulaCommon Goldeneye
  • Callipepla californicaCalifornia Quail
  • Centrocercus urophasianusGreater Sage-Grouse
  • Colinus virginianusNorthern Bobwhite
  • Columba liviaRock Pigeon
  • Columbina passerinaCommon Ground Dove
  • Coturnicops noveboracensisYellow Rail
  • Dendragapus obscurusDusky Grouse
  • Dendrocygna autumnalisBlack-bellied Whistling-Duck
  • Dolichonyx oryzivorusBobolink
  • Eremophila alpestrisHorned Lark
  • Euphagus cyanocephalusBrewer's Blackbird
  • Francolinus francolinusBlack Francolin
  • Fulica americanaAmerican Coot
  • Gallinula galeataCommon Gallinule
  • Haemorhous mexicanusHouse Finch
  • Junco hyemalisDark-eyed Junco
  • Lagopus lagopusWillow Ptarmigan
  • Mareca americanaAmerican Wigeon
  • Meleagris gallopavoWild Turkey
  • Melospiza melodiaSong Sparrow
  • Melozone crissalisCalifornia Towhee
  • Molothrus aterBrown-headed Cowbird
  • Oreortyx pictusMountain Quail
  • Oxyura jamaicensisRuddy Duck
  • Passer domesticusHouse Sparrow
  • Perdix perdixGray Partridge
  • Pheucticus melanocephalusBlack-headed Grosbeak
  • Pinicola enucleatorPine Grosbeak
  • Pipilo maculatusSpotted Towhee
  • Porzana carolinaSora
  • Quiscalus quisculaCommon Grackle
  • Rallus elegansKing Rail
  • Rallus limicolaVirginia Rail
  • Sialia mexicanaWestern Bluebird
  • Sialia sialisEastern Bluebird
  • Spinus psaltriaLesser Goldfinch
  • Spizella passerinaChipping Sparrow
  • Sturnus vulgarisEuropean Starling
  • Turdus migratoriusAmerican Robin
  • Tympanuchus phasianellusSharp-tailed Grouse
  • Vireo griseusWhite-eyed Vireo
  • Zenaida macrouraMourning Dove
  • Zonotrichia atricapillaGolden-crowned Sparrow
  • Zonotrichia leucophrysWhite-crowned Sparrow
Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Polygonaceae
Flower color
Red
Growth rate
Rapid
Growth habit
Single crown
Foliage color
Green
Fruit begins
Spring
Fruit ends
Fall

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope
Also known as

Arrow Leaf Tearthumb; Arrowleaf Tear Scratchgrass; Polygonum sagittatum; knotweed

Conservation status

Arkansas rankSNR
Global rankG5
AR statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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Sources