Plant Profile: Rumex sanguineus

Taxonomy: Rumex sanguineus

Names

Bloody Dock, Red Veined Dock, Red-Veined Dock, Red Veined Sorrel, Red-Veined Sorrel

  • Photo of Rumex sanguineus (Rumex sanguineuss)

Phonetic Spelling:ROO-meks san-GWIN-ee-us

Genus:Rumex

Species:sanguineus

Family:Polygonaceae

Bloody dock is a long-standing native species found in Europe and certain regions of northern Iran. Its striking, deeply-veined foliage provides both aesthetic appeal and culinary uses.

This plant thrives in full sunlight and prefers moist, well-drained soil. It typically flourishes in ditches, where moisture levels are more stable. Although it produces tall flower stalks, these can be pruned to promote denser leaf growth and to control excessive self-seeding. For optimal results, sow the seeds in the spring.

Rumex sanguineus Feature Summary

Rumex sanguineus Image Gallery

Tags

#full sun tolerant
#annual
#perennial
#showy leaves
#colorful leaves
#accent plant
#pond margins
#moist soil
#well-drained soil
#vegetable garden
#herbaceous perennial
#ditches
#borders
#edible garden
#edible leaves
#clumping
#edible
#container plants

Similar Plants

Rumex sanguineus Feature Summary

Attributes
Naturalized in parts of US and Canada
Young leaves are edible raw or cooked, having a tart flavor. Older leaves are bitter and tough. Less commonly grown for eating than other species.
Perennial
Flowers
Star-shaped flowers in early Summer on stems 2-3 ft. tall. Mature from green to red-brown.
Red/Burgundy
Brown/Copper
Green
< 1 inch
Leaves
Deeply red-purple veined leaves.
Green
Red/Burgundy
Purple/Lavender
Oblong
Lanceolate
Oblanceolate
3-6 inches
Stem
Reddish flowering stem
Green
Red/Burgundy
Poisonous to Humans
May cause mild stomach upset or irritate skin in those sensitive. Oxalic acid can bind to nutrients if ingested in large quantities, preventing absorption.
Seeds
Leaves
Stems
Sap/Juice
Flowers
Bark
Fruits
Roots
Whole Plant Traits
Annual
Edible
Herbaceous Perennial
Vegetable
Clumping
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Good Drainage
Moist
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
4a
4b
5b
5a
6a
6b
7a
7b
8b
8a
Fruit
Red/Burgundy
Brown/Copper
Landscape
Edible Garden
Border
Accent
Container
Pond
Weedy
Contact Dermatitis

Rumex sanguineus Attributes

Rumex sanguineus: Country Or Region Of Origin

Europe, N. Iran

Rumex sanguineus: Distribution

Naturalized in parts of US and Canada

Rumex sanguineus: Edibility

Young leaves are edible raw or cooked, having a tart flavor. Older leaves are bitter and tough. Less commonly grown for eating than other species.

Rumex sanguineus: Life Cycle

Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody

Rumex sanguineus: Recommended Propagation Strategy

Division
Grafting
Layering
Leaf Cutting
Root Cutting
Seed
Stem Cutting

Rumex sanguineus Flowers

Rumex sanguineus: Flower Description

Star-shaped flowers in early Summer on stems 2-3 ft. tall. Mature from green to red-brown.

Rumex sanguineus: Flower Color

filter_vintage
Brown/Copper
filter_vintage
Green
filter_vintage
Red/Burgundy

Rumex sanguineus: Flower Inflorescence

Catkin
Corymb
Cyme
Head
Insignificant
Panicle
Raceme
Solitary
Spadix
Spike
Umbel

Rumex sanguineus: Flower Bloom Time

Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall

Rumex sanguineus: Flower Shape

Bell
Cross
Crown
Cup
Dome
Funnel
Irregular
Lipped
Radial
Saucer
Star
Trumpet
Tubular
Urn
Wheel

Rumex sanguineus: Flower Size

1-3 inches
3-6 inches
< 1 inch
> 6 inches

Rumex sanguineus Leaves

Rumex sanguineus: Leaf Description

Deeply red-purple veined leaves.

Rumex sanguineus: Leaf Color

spa
Green
spa
Purple/Lavender
spa
Red/Burgundy

Rumex sanguineus: Leaf Type

Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple

Rumex sanguineus: Leaf Arrangement

Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled

Rumex sanguineus: Leaf Shape

Acicular
Auriculate
Cordate
Cuneate
Deltoid
Elliptical
Filiform
Lanceolate
Linear
Oblanceolate
Oblong
Obovate
Obtuse
Orbicular
Ovate
Palmasect
Palmatifid
Peltate
Pinnatifid
Pinnatisect
Reniform
Rhomboidal
Spatulate
Subcordate
Subulate

Rumex sanguineus: Hairs Present

No
Yes

Rumex sanguineus: Leaf Length

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches

Rumex sanguineus: Leaf Value To Gardener

Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long-lasting
Showy

Rumex sanguineus Stem

Rumex sanguineus: Stem Description

Reddish flowering stem

Rumex sanguineus: Stem Color

grass
Green
grass
Red/Burgundy

Rumex sanguineus: Stem Is Aromatic

No
Yes

Rumex sanguineus Poisonous to Humans

Rumex sanguineus: Poison Symptoms

May cause mild stomach upset or irritate skin in those sensitive. Oxalic acid can bind to nutrients if ingested in large quantities, preventing absorption.

Rumex sanguineus: Poison Toxic Principle

Oxalic acid

Rumex sanguineus: Poison Severity

High
Low
Medium

Rumex sanguineus: Causes Contact Dermatitis

No
Yes

Rumex sanguineus: Poison Part

Bark
Flowers
Fruits
Leaves
Roots
Sap/Juice
Seeds
Stems

Rumex sanguineus Whole Plant Traits

Rumex sanguineus: Plant Type

Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower

Rumex sanguineus: Habit/Form

Arching
Ascending
Broad
Cascading
Climbing
Clumping
Columnar
Conical
Creeping
Dense
Erect
Horizontal
Irregular
Mounding
Multi-stemmed
Multi-trunked
Open
Oval
Prostrate
Pyramidal
Rounded
Spreading
Vase
Weeping

Rumex sanguineus: Maintenance

Low
Medium
High

Rumex sanguineus Cultural Conditions

Rumex sanguineus: Light

Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)

Rumex sanguineus: Soil Drainage

Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry

Rumex sanguineus: Available Space To Plant

12 inches-3 feet
12-24 feet
24-60 feet
3 feet-6 feet
6-feet-12 feet
Less than 12 inches
more than 60 feet

Rumex sanguineus: NC Region

Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont

Rumex sanguineus: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone

thermostat
4a
thermostat
4b
thermostat
5a
thermostat
5b
thermostat
6a
thermostat
6b
thermostat
7a
thermostat
7b
thermostat
8a
thermostat
8b

Rumex sanguineus Fruit

Rumex sanguineus: Fruit Type

Achene
Aggregate
Berry
Capsule
Caryopsis
Drupe
Follicle
Legume
Nut
Pome
Samara
Schizocarp
Siliqua

Rumex sanguineus: Fruit Color

grass
Brown/Copper
grass
Red/Burgundy

Rumex sanguineus Landscape

Rumex sanguineus: Landscape Theme

Asian Garden
Butterfly Garden
Children's Garden
Cottage Garden
Cutting Garden
Drought Tolerant Garden
Edible Garden
English Garden
Fairy Garden
Garden for the Blind
Native Garden
Nighttime Garden
Pollinator Garden
Rain Garden
Rock Garden
Shade Garden
Water Garden
Winter Garden

Rumex sanguineus: Design Feature

Accent
Barrier
Border
Flowering Tree
Foundation Planting
Hedge
Mass Planting
Screen/Privacy
Security
Shade Tree
Small groups
Small Tree
Specimen
Street Tree
Understory Tree

Rumex sanguineus: Landscape Location

Coastal
Container
Hanging Baskets
Houseplants
Lawn
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Near Septic
Patio
Pond
Pool/Hardscape
Recreational Play Area
Riparian
Rock Wall
Slope/Bank
Small Space
Vertical Spaces
Walkways
Woodland

Rumex sanguineus: Problems

Allelopathic
Contact Dermatitis
Frequent Disease Problems
Frequent Insect Problems
Invasive Species
Malodorous
Messy
Poisonous to Humans
Problem for Cats
Problem for Children
Problem for Dogs
Problem for Horses
Short-lived
Spines/Thorns
Weak Wood
Weedy