Keep container in the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator. Smartweed (Polygonum pensylvanicum) is an annual broadleaf.As an annual, it reproduces through seeds that drop near the parent plant to produce new … E. Portion of upper stem with leaf stalk and ocrea showing stalked glands. 2014. Unroll and transfer the damp greens to storage. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Stem by stem remove any dried leaves. Keep stored seed in an airtight glass or metal container in a cool, dark place. The mower isn't going to help me any more this year. Pennsylvania Smartweed and Ladythumb (Polygonum pensylvanicum L. and P. persicaria L.) Life cycle: Summer annuals. Wild edible lady's thumb - excellent survival food. Habitat: Roadsides, damp clearings, cultivated ground; Highbush Cranberry (not a true cranberry), 4-H Camp & Learning Center at Bryant Pond, 4-H Camp & Learning Center at Greenland Point, 4-H Camp & Learning Centers at Tanglewood & Blueberry Cove, Insect Pests, Plant Diseases & Pesticide Safety, Affiliated Programs, Partners & Resources, Non-Discrimination Statement & Disability Resources, Register for Workshops, Classes, & Events. Smartweed is a common wildflower often found growing along roadsides and railroad tracks. longisetum, most closely resembles Lady's-thumb (Persicaria maculosa), which does not have the long bristles in the flower cluster, a trait only P. longiseta has. Lady's thumb overall is bigger, more branched and more likely to lie down forming large clumps. Native Americans used the leaves in treatments of stomach pains and poison ivy. Fortunately, their blooms looks much different than what is pictured above. The chemistry of water pepper smartweed and related species (new genus name is Persicaria = Polygonum) has been described in the following publication: Prota N, Mumm R, Bouwmeester HJ, Jongsma MA. The stems, flowers and leaves can all be eaten cooked or raw, tasting similar to lettuce. Lady's Thumb Smartweed. Lady's Thumb. No products in the cart. The stems are openly branched and often reddish. North Dakota State University. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. [annual]. Pictures below. It is native to Southeast Asia, and it is present in North America and Europe as an introduced species and often a weed. Pennsylvania smartweed. There are several varieties of this annual. Stone, Katharine R. 2010. Greens are good until they become dry and crispy, fade in color, or become slimy or moldy. Winnowing is probably not necessary. Pale smartweed. Scientific synonyms of Lady's Thumb include Persicaria vulgaris and … The small, pink or purplish flowers are clustered together in spikes along a single inflorescence. Let the seeds air dry inside one week. Green or tan seeds? In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. D. Portion of lower stem with leafstalk and ocrea. Lady's Thumb is a medicinal plant. Many of these species have the same general “look” of the pink to white wand-like flower clusters you will come to recognize. Lady's thumb contains natural fibers, sugars, fats and tannins, and has some minor nutritional value. For these latter species, the flowers of individual plants are more likely to be homogeneously colored. It’s a smart beginner wild edible and medicinal green because of the distinguished triangular purple spot on the leaf making it easily identifiable. Showed up this year, and all the leaves have the dark blotch. 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