Oriental Lady's-thumb

Polygonum cespitosum

Not native to Georgia

Do not plant. Listed invasive in Georgia.

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Canadian Milkvetch
Astragalus canadensis
Similar growth form, height, light
Purplehead Sneezeweed
Helenium flexuosum
Similar growth form, height, light

More natives for your garden

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Persicaria longiseta — flower photograph — no rights reserved · CC0 · Original photograph · iNaturalist medium image; no additional crop, retouching, or re-encoding.

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

44CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including GA

Genus host records with ranges including GA · 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 44

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
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 scissoidesDivided Flower Moth
Schinia spinosaeSpinose Flower Moth
Scopula limboundataLarge Lace-Border
Spilosoma congruaAgreeable Tiger Moth
Spilosoma virginicaVirginian Tiger Moth, Yellow Woolybear Moth, Yellow Bear
Strymon melinusGray Hairstreak
Xanthorhoe ferrugataRed Twin-Spot, Twin-Spot Carpet
Xanthotype sospetaCrocus Geometer

Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)

—BeesSoutheastern regional records

—Specialist 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)

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family: Polygonaceae

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

Growing sources and scope

Height · “1–3 feet” · Minnesota Wildflowers
Life cycle · “Annual” · Minnesota Wildflowers
Light · “Partial shade; Full shade; Full sun (documented habitat)” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team) · Carolinas and Georgia
Soil · “Dry; Moist; Wet (documented habitat)” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team) · Carolinas and Georgia

Also known as

Bristly Ladys Thumb; Creeping Smartweed; Oriental Lady's thumb; Polygonum cespitosum; Polygonum cespitosum var. longisetum; knotweed

Conservation status

Georgia rank	Not available
Global rank	GNR
GA status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source