← Bedfellow

Swamp Smartweed

Polygonum hydropiperoides

Swamp smartweed lines marsh and pond edges with slender spikes of pink-white flowers; its seeds are a key food for waterfowl and marsh birds. Spreads in saturated ground.

Family
Polygonaceae
Type
wildflower
Lifespan
perennial
Height
1–3 ft
Spacing
1–2 ft apart
Light
sun
Soil moisture
wet
Soil pH
acidic, neutral
Bloom
July, August, September
Bloom colors
white, pink
Wildlife value
pollinators, songbirds
Landscape uses
border, rain garden, erosion control, naturalizing
Native states
AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV