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Doorweed Polygonum aviculare

Other plants called Doorweed:

Phonetic Spelling
po-LI-go-num a-vik-yoo-LAIR-ee
Description

Prostrate knotweed is a prostrate, summer annual or perennial weed in the buckwheat family and originally from Eurasia. It grows in fields and wetlands, in both high and low elevations, throughout the world and in all 50 states of the United States. Each plant is capable of producing thousands of seeds that stay viable for several years. The plant grows low to the ground on long stems up to 3 feet long and mowing is ineffective as a control. The foliage is often a blue green and small flowers, that only open in hot, sunny weather, occur at the base of each leaf. The genus name is Greek for "many knees", in reference to the prominent nodes along the stem. The species name means "little bird" because the fruits resemble a bird's beak.

Prostrate Knotweed prefers full sun and moist to dry, heavy soil. It does well in poor soil, including heavily contaminated ones. It tolerates a fair amount of trampling.

The plant has a slender shallow taproot that frequently branches and the plant spreads by reseeding itself.

Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems:

Prostrate Knotweed can be a problem for grain and crop fields, lawns and cities where it grows in the cracks of pavement and along roads.

See this plant in the following landscape:
Cultivars / Varieties:
Tags:
#summer annual weed#annual weed#warm season weed#perennial weed#flowering#weedy#poor soil tolerant#weed
 
Cultivars / Varieties:
Tags:
#summer annual weed#annual weed#warm season weed#perennial weed#flowering#weedy#poor soil tolerant#weed
  • Attributes:
    Genus:
    Polygonum
    Species:
    aviculare
    Family:
    Polygonaceae
    Uses (Ethnobotany):
    Parts of the plant used medicinally and the leaves are sometimes used to produce blue or green dye.
    Life Cycle:
    Annual
    Perennial
    Recommended Propagation Strategy:
    Division
    Seed
    Country Or Region Of Origin:
    Macaronesia and Eurasia
    Distribution:
    Temperate regions worldwide.
    Wildlife Value:
    Food plant for caterpillars.
    Edibility:
    Seeds edible raw or ground into a flour
    Dimensions:
    Height: 0 ft. 3 in. - 0 ft. 8 in.
    Width: 2 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.
  • Whole Plant Traits:
    Plant Type:
    Annual
    Perennial
    Weed
    Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
    Broadleaf Evergreen
    Habit/Form:
    Prostrate
    Spreading
    Growth Rate:
    Slow
    Maintenance:
    High
    Texture:
    Coarse
  • Cultural Conditions:
    Light:
    Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
    Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
    Soil Texture:
    Clay
    Sand
    Shallow Rocky
    Soil pH:
    Acid (<6.0)
    Alkaline (>8.0)
    Neutral (6.0-8.0)
    Soil Drainage:
    Good Drainage
    Moist
    Occasionally Dry
    NC Region:
    Coastal
    Mountains
    Piedmont
    USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
    2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b
  • Fruit:
    Fruit Color:
    Brown/Copper
    Display/Harvest Time:
    Fall
    Summer
    Fruit Type:
    Achene
    Fruit Length:
    < 1 inch
    Fruit Width:
    < 1 inch
    Fruit Description:
    A 3-angled brown achene develops within the sepals of each flower. This achene tapers at one end and a fine membrane often clings to the surface.
  • Flowers:
    Flower Color:
    Pink
    White
    Flower Inflorescence:
    Cyme
    Flower Bloom Time:
    Fall
    Summer
    Flower Shape:
    Radial
    Tubular
    Flower Petals:
    Colored Sepals
    Flower Size:
    < 1 inch
    Flower Description:
    A small cluster of 1 to 5 tiny flowers appear in the axil of leaves near the stem end mid-summer to early fall. Each tiny flower consists of 5 sepals, several stamens, and no petals. The flat sepals have white margins, otherwise they are green, pink, or purple. The flowers bloom from mid-summer to early fall for 2 to 3 months, but open for a short period when the weather is hot and sunny.
  • Leaves:
    Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
    Broadleaf Evergreen
    Leaf Color:
    Blue
    Green
    Leaf Feel:
    Smooth
    Leaf Type:
    Simple
    Leaf Arrangement:
    Alternate
    Leaf Shape:
    Elliptical
    Lanceolate
    Oblong
    Obovate
    Spatulate
    Leaf Margin:
    Entire
    Hairs Present:
    No
    Leaf Length:
    < 1 inch
    Leaf Width:
    < 1 inch
    Leaf Description:
    One inch by 1/3 inch oblong green to blue-green, smooth, alternate leaves with entire margins. A membranous sheath (ochrea) wraps around the stem at the base of each leaf.
  • Stem:
    Stem Color:
    Green
    Stem Is Aromatic:
    No
    Stem Form:
    Zig Zags
    Stem Surface:
    Smooth (glabrous)
    Stem Description:
    Stem is wiry, matted, branching, and prostrate to erect.
  • Landscape:
    Resistance To Challenges:
    Compaction
    Dry Soil
    Foot Traffic
    Poor Soil
    Problems:
    Weedy