Curly Dock, Rumex crispus L., Naturalized Minnesota Wildflower plant, Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden, Curled Dock, Yellow dock, Sour Dock

	Plants of the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden
	Common Name	Scientific Name	Plant Family	Garden Location	Prime Season
	Curly Dock	Rumex crispus L.	Buckwheat	Upland	Early to late Summer
Other names and notes	(Yellow Dock, Sour Dock). A coarse plant, considered a weed, that grows 4 to 5 feet high. Docks have numerous small 6-part green flowers, stalks branched near the base, which grow in whorls forming several dense racemes at the top of the plant. Curly Dock has pointed lance shape leaves that have a distinctive curly edge. Fruit is a dry brown seed. It is a plant of roadsides, pastures and field edges and easily infiltrates open areas and become invasive. The genus name, Rumex, is the Latin name for Docks. The species name, crispus, means "curled". The plant was originally classified in the genus Lapathum, which name was derived from Greek and meant "to cleanse" which was a way of referring the the plants medicinal value as a purgative. See notes below.


Above: The green flowers of early July with crinkly (curly) leaf edges. Right: The maturing seeds of mid-August.

Above: Detail of the green flowers. Below: An illustration of how Curly Dock will infiltrate and area. This spot at the North end of the Upland Garden was cleared of undergrowth and invasive shrubs beginning in 2004 and then replanted with native wild flowers. Note how the dock has made an opportunity of the open space.

Notes: This plant was listed on Martha Crone's 1951 inventory of plants in the Garden at that time. Found throughout the State but not in all counties, and found throughout North America. A European import. In Europe Docks have a medicinal history. R. crispus has the active compound "rumicin" and the root has laxative, alterative and mildly tonic actions. Roots, which are 8 to 12 inches long and about 1/2" thick were collected in March and dried to make the preparations. For Lore and uses :

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References: Plant characteristics are generally from sources 15, 16, 30, 31, 33, W2 & W3. Distribution principally from W2 and also 31, 34 and W1. Planting history generally from 1, 4 & 4a. Other sources by specific reference. See Reference List for details.

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