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Bitter Dock

Rumex obtusifolius

Found in pastures, barnyards, disturbed areas. FloraQuest, phone app (app page) What its natural habitat tells you

—
Not native

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

Profile 71%

Height
2–4 feet
Light
Partial shade, Full sun
Soil moisture
Dry to wet

At a glance

Life cycle
Perennial
Bloom
April to June
Fruiting season
June to August

Not yet recorded · Spread · Leaves

Recorded in 86 Virginia counties.

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

50CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including VA

Genus host records with ranges including VA · Rumex

  • Achyra rantalisGarden Webworm Moth
  • Agnorisma badinodisPale-Banded Dart
  • Agrotis gladiariaSwordsman Dart, Clay-Backed Cut-Worm
  • Anaplectoides prasinaGreen Arches Dart
  • Anavitrinella pampinariaCommon Gray, Cranberry Spanworm
  • Apantesis argeArge Tiger Moth
  • Apantesis naisNais Tiger Moth
  • Argyrogramma verrucaGolden Looper
  • Calothysanis amaturariaCross-Lined Wave
  • Chionodes discoocellellaEyeringed Chionodes
Show all 50
  • Chloridea virescensTobacco Budworm Moth
  • Chlorochlamys chloroleucariaBlackberry Looper Moth
  • Chrysoteuchia topiariusCranberry Girder, Subterranean Webworm, Topiary Grass-Veneer
  • Clepsis persicanaWhite Triangle Tortrix
  • Dypterygia rozmaniAmerican Bird's-Wing
  • Estigmene acreaSalt Marsh Moth, Acrea Moth
  • Eupithecia miserulataCommon Eupithacia, Common Pug
  • Euxoa tessellataTessellate Dart, Striped Cutworm
  • Feltia jaculiferaDingy Cutworm
  • Hahncappsia mancalisCommon Hahncappsia
  • Hyles lineataWhite-Lined Sphinx
  • Lacinipolia renigeraBristly Ground Cat, Bristly Cutworm Moth, Kidney Spotted "Mamestra"
  • Leuconycta lepidulaMarble-Green Jaspidia, Marble-Green Leuconycta
  • Lycaena hypophlaeasAmerican Copper
  • Melanchra pictaPainted Arches, Zebra Caterpillar Moth
  • Mythimna unipunctaArmyworm Moth, White Speck
  • Nymphalis antiopaMourning Cloak
  • Ochropleura implectaAmerican Flame-Shouldered Dart
  • Olethreutes fasciatanaBanded Olethreutes
  • Orthodes majusculaRustic Quaker, Rustic Groundcat
  • Orthonama obstipataThe Gem
  • Papaipema baptisiaeWild Indigo Borer, Indigo Stem Borer
  • Papaipema marginidensBrick-Red Borer
  • Papaipema nebrisStalk Borer
  • Phlogophora irisOlive Angle Shades
  • Platynota stultanaOmnivorous Leafroller
  • Pseudeustrotia carneolaPink-Barred Lithacodia, Pink-Barred Pseudeustrotia
  • Sparganothis sulfureanaSparganothis Fruitworm Moth, Sulfur Leafroller, False Yellow-Head
  • Spilosoma virginicaVirginian Tiger Moth, Yellow Woolybear Moth, Yellow Bear
  • Spodoptera eridaniaSouthern Armyworm Moth
  • Spodoptera frugiperdaFall Armyworm Moth
  • Spodoptera ornithogalliYellow-Striped Armyworm Moth, Cotton Cutworm
  • Strymon melinusGray Hairstreak
  • Sunira bicoloragoBicolored Sallow
  • Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformisEvergreen Bagworm Moth
  • Trachea delicataDelicate Moth
  • Trichoplusia niNi Moth, Cabbage Looper Moth
  • Xestia c-nigrumSpotted Cut-Worm, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Lesser Black-letter Dart
  • Xestia dolosaGreater Black-Letter Dart, Greater Spotted Cutworm
  • Xestia smithiiSmith's Dart
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
—BeesSoutheastern regional records
—Specialist beesPollen specialists
26BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

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

  • Alectoris chukarChukar
  • Anthus rubescensAmerican Pipit
  • Aythya affinisLesser Scaup
  • Bonasa umbellusRuffed Grouse
  • Callipepla californicaCalifornia Quail
  • Columbina passerinaCommon Ground Dove
  • Dendragapus obscurusDusky Grouse
  • Haemorhous mexicanusHouse Finch
  • Junco hyemalisDark-eyed Junco
  • Lagopus leucuraWhite-tailed Ptarmigan
Show all 26
  • Meleagris gallopavoWild Turkey
  • Melospiza melodiaSong Sparrow
  • Melozone crissalisCalifornia Towhee
  • Oreortyx pictusMountain Quail
  • Pheucticus melanocephalusBlack-headed Grosbeak
  • Pinicola enucleatorPine Grosbeak
  • Pipilo maculatusSpotted Towhee
  • Plectrophenax nivalisSnow Bunting
  • Sialia mexicanaWestern Bluebird
  • Sialia sialisEastern Bluebird
  • Spinus psaltriaLesser Goldfinch
  • Spizella passerinaChipping Sparrow
  • Spizella pusillaField Sparrow
  • Turdus migratoriusAmerican Robin
  • 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
Fruit begins
June
Fruit ends
August

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

Growing sources and scope
  • Bloom · “April to June” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia
  • Fruit begins · “June” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia
  • Fruit ends · “August” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia
  • Height · “2–4 feet” · Minnesota Wildflowers
  • Life cycle · “Perennial” · Minnesota Wildflowers
  • Light · “Partial shade; Full sun (documented habitat)” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia
  • Soil · “Dry; Moist; Wet (documented habitat)” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia
Also known as

Broad Leaf Dock

Conservation status

Virginia rankSNA
Global rankGNR
VA statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

Native alternatives

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Sources