This is one of those plants regarded by most people as a weed. Not a flower for picking and putting in a vase, it is basically a tall (60–100 cm), slender spike of tiny reddish flowers which are on display from May to August. It is found in a variety of habitats from the sides of our motorways to coastal shingle and arable ground. Identified by its distinctive leaves (4–7 cm long) which are deep green and arrow-shaped, with a sharp, vinegary taste. The lobes of the leaves point backwards slightly, the upper leaves clasping the stem. The seeds are reddish and oval. This is a native plant which belongs to the Polygonaceae family.
I first recorded this wildflower in Roundwood, County Wicklow in 1978 and photographed it in Dalkey, County Dublin in 2010.
If you are satisfied you have correctly identified this plant, please submit your sighting to the National Biodiversity Data Centre
