Marshpepper Smartweed

Persicaria hydropiper

Found in wet pastures, barnyards, ditches. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Northern Tier edition What its natural habitat tells you

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Not native

Not native to Virginia. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 76%

Height: About 1.6 feet
Light: Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture: Moist to standing water

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Pennsylvania Smartweed
Persicaria pensylvanica
Sun: Full sun. Soil: Usually moist. Flowers: Pink, red or white.
Similar growth form, evergreen or deciduous, bloom season
Fewflower Milkweed
Asclepias lanceolata
Sun: Full sun, Partial shade. Soil: Usually moist. Flowers: Yellow, orange, pink or red.
Similar growth form, evergreen or deciduous, bloom season
Purplehead Sneezeweed
Helenium flexuosum
Sun: Full sun. Soil: Moist to standing water. Flowers: Brown/copper or purple.
Similar growth form, height, evergreen or deciduous

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At a glance

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

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Not yet recorded · Spread

Recorded in 61 Virginia counties.

Natural habitats

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

1 of 2

Wet meadows

Open, wet, grassy or sedgy ground that is not a bog.

Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground

Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.

All habitats

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Virginia. Shared habitat, not food. 138 animals.

Swainson's Warbler
Limnothlypis swainsonii
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Swamp Sparrow
Melospiza georgiana
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Tree Swallow
Tachycineta bicolor
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Tricolored Heron
Egretta tricolor
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Veery
Catharus fuscescens
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Virginia Rail
Rallus limicola
Birds. 1 shared habitat
White-breasted Nuthatch
Sitta carolinensis
Birds. 1 shared habitat
White-eyed Vireo
Vireo griseus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
White-throated Sparrow
Zonotrichia albicollis
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Wild Turkey
Meleagris gallopavo
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Willow Flycatcher
Empidonax traillii
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Wilson's Snipe
Gallinago delicata
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Wood Duck
Aix sponsa
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Wood Thrush
Hylocichla mustelina
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Worm-eating Warbler
Helmitheros vermivorum
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Sphyrapicus varius
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Coccyzus americanus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Dendroica coronata
Birds. 1 shared habitat

All wildlife of Virginia

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

49CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including VA

Genus host records with ranges including VA · Polygonum

Achyra rantalisGarden Webworm Moth
Acronicta insularisHenry's Marsh Moth, Cattail Caterpillar
Acronicta oblinitaSmeared Dagger
Anaplectoides prasinaGreen Arches Dart
Anticlea multiferataMany-Lined Carpet
Apantesis argeArge Tiger Moth
Apantesis naisNais Tiger Moth
Apantesis virgunculaLittle Tiger Moth
Archips semiferanusOak Leafroller Moth
Calothysanis amaturariaCross-Lined Wave

Show all 49

Chionodes discoocellellaEyeringed Chionodes
Clepsis persicanaWhite Triangle Tortrix
Coleophora cratipennellaStreaked Coleophora
Costaconvexa centrostrigariaBent-Lined Carpet
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
Euxoa tessellataTessellate Dart, Striped Cutworm
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
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
Xanthorhoe ferrugataRed Twin-Spot, Twin-Spot Carpet
Xanthotype sospetaCrocus Geometer
Monochroa pullusella

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)

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

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family: Polygonaceae
Flower color: Green or white
Growth rate: Rapid
Growth habit: Single crown
Foliage color: Green
Fruit begins: Summer
Fruit ends: Fall

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

Growing sources and scope

Bloom · “May to December” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs) · Carolinas and Georgia
Flower color · “Green or white” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs)
Foliage color · “Green” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Fruit begins · “Summer” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Fruit ends · “Fall” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Growth habit · “Single crown” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Growth rate · “Rapid” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Height · “About 1.6 feet” · USDA PLANTS (ranked first; Minnesota Wildflowers differs) · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Leaves · “Deciduous” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Life cycle · “Annual” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Light · “Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day); Partial shade (direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Soil · “Frequent standing water; Occasionally wet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox

Also known as

Marsh Pepper Smartweed; Polygonum hydropiper; knotweed

Conservation status

Virginia rank	SNA
Global rank	GNR
VA status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source