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Bushy Knotweed

Polygonum ramosissimum subsp. prolificum

Also listed as Polygonum prolificum, Polygonum ramosissimum ssp. prolificum

Found in brackish marshes, disturbed areas. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Northern Tier edition What its natural habitat tells you

81
Keystone

Native to West Virginia. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 88%

Height
Up to about 32 inches
Light
Partial shade, Full sun
Soil moisture
Dry to wet
Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Life cycle
Annual
Bloom
July to November

Not yet recorded · Spread · Leaves

County records are not available.

Natural habitats

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

Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground

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

All habitats

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

48CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including WV

Genus host records with ranges including WV · 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
  • Archips semiferanusOak Leafroller Moth
  • Calothysanis amaturariaCross-Lined Wave
  • Chionodes discoocellellaEyeringed Chionodes
Show all 48
  • 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
  • Tharsalea hyllusBronze Copper
  • Xanthorhoe ferrugataRed Twin-Spot, Twin-Spot Carpet
  • Xanthotype sospetaCrocus Geometer
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
23BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Polygonum

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
White or pink

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

Growing sources and scope
Also known as

Long Fruit Knotweed; Polygonum ramosissimum ssp. prolificum; Polygonum ramosissimum subsp. prolificum; Polygonum ramosissimum var. prolificum

Conservation status

West Virginia rankSH
Global rankG5T4T5 [G4G5]
WV statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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