Curly dock is a long-lived perennial weed in the buckwheat family. It occurs at sites with full sun, moist to dry conditions, and tolerates most soil types. It withstands drought, temporary flooding, and occasional mowing. The seeds of this plant can remain viable for up to 50 years.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
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; Loam (Silt); Sand; Shallow Rocky
Soil drainage
Moist | Occasional Flooding | Occasionally Dry
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
High
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate; Rosulate
Leaf shape
Lanceolate; Oblong
Leaf margin
Undulate
Leaf size
> 6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Rosette of basal leaves about 1 foot across. Stem leaves are 6 inches long and 1 inch across, alternate and oblong-lanceolate. Basal leaves are similar but larger. The leaves have very wavy margins.
Flower color
Brown/Copper; Gold/Yellow; Green
Flower form
Panicle; Raceme
Flower detail
The inflorescent is a panicle of racemes with whorls of flowers ½–1½' long. Individual flowers are 1/8 inch long, have no petals and are yellowish-green three-winged sepals that turn brown at maturity. They are wind-pollinated.
Bloom time
Summer
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
Each flower becomes a dry capsule with one seed. Seeds are dark brown and 3-angled, tapering at their tips.
Stem color
Green
Stem detail
The flower stem is hairless and ribbed.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Africa, Eurasia
Food & Medicine
Fruit type
Capsule
Landscape Use
Garden tags
#perennial weed #problem for dogs #problem for horses #problem for cats #contact dermatitis
Problems & Resistance
Problems
Problem for Cats; Problem for Dogs; Problem for Horses; Weedy
Resistant to
Drought; Wet Soil
Propagation
Seed
Poison severity
Low
Poison symptoms
Kidney failure (rare in dogs/cats), tremors, salivation.