Pennsylvania Smartweed, Persicaria Pennsylvania, is found in many agricultural regions of the state as well as states in the mid-west. It comes from the buckwheat family.
It does well in any moist area. It is very hardy and can tolerate sun or partial shade. It is often found in agricultural areas and grows explosively in water basins that have receding waterlines. It loves any moist conditions and it an important food source for aquatic birds.
Pennsylvania Smartweed's Bloom Season and Color
The flowers of the plant are greenish-white or may be rosy pink. They are about an eighth of an inch long and contain 5 petals. The flowers appear nearly stalkless. They grow in elongated clusters. Blooms appear May through October.
Pennsylvania Smartweed's Height at Maturity
It is a low growing plant. The height at maturity can be from 30 to 120 centimeters. It produces a huge amount of seed that will repopulate the plant the next season. It must have 60 days of cold weather.
Pennsylvania Smartweed's Soil Type Preferred
This plant is good ground cover around lakes and ponds. It doesn’t tolerate drought but will flourish in areas that have ebbing and flowing water levels. It’s great for those raising ducks, geese, or waterfowl and will be a replenishable source of food for them.
Moist soil is a must for the plant. It does best in marshy ground and will not grow in hard soil or deep water. A few inches of water is fine. It can be grown with flood or overhead irrigation.
Pennsylvania Smartweed is a prevalent wildflower. It is distinguishable by its elongated clusters of spikey light-pink flowers. The stem is very thin, vibrant green, and has a sticky, hairy stem. Leaves are narrow and measure 10 to 15 centimeters. Leaves are identified by a dark green smudge that spans across the midpoint of a light-green vein.
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