Smartweed

 One dumb old woman now knows a lot about Smartweed and Ladysthumb.

Phinnie and I saw a new plant this morning.  We walked up and down the lane to my house.  Didn’t want to don those big boots to go through the wet grass.  The new plant is Smartweed.  It was growing in the ditch where all the water from Cliff and Stream runs to.  I'd rather be a smart-weed than a dumb-flower.  Smartweeds are mostly aquatic plants preferring wet or at least  moist soils. Flowers are small.   They range from white to red, with most being pink. They are members of the Buckwheat family.   There are lots of types of Smartweeds. The one Phinnie and I saw today is called Ladysthumb.  Ladysthumb is identified by the thump print on each leaf.  I took a picture of the thumb print.

Native Americans used the leaves in treatments of stomach pains and poison ivy. They also rubbed the plant on their horses as an insect repellant. Also known as Persicaria maculosa, the flowers attracts Halictid bees, wasps, and Syrphid flies. Mammalian herbivores rarely feed on the foliage of this plant because the foliage is peppery, and slightly bitter. However, white-tailed deer may chomp on it on occasion. The seeds are very popular with  songbirds.

I read Ladysthumb often grows near dumps.  That explains why is prevalent near my house!