How do you recognise Common bistort (Bistorta officinalis)?

Leaf

Alain Bigou, Tela Botanica · CC BY-SA 2.0

Common bistort

Bistorta officinalis (L.) Samp.

Also known as: Bistort, Easter ledges, Snakeweed

Family: Polygonaceae

40 to 80 cm tall

Wet meadows, gardens, banks, cool soils

Flowering: May – August

Full sun

Part shade

Hardy to -30°C

❓ How do you recognise this plant?

Its rhizome, twisted into an 'S' shape, gave the plant its name, from the Latin 'bis torta' (twice twisted). Common bistort has a single, longer cylindrical pink spike at the top of a bare stem, with no blotch on the leaves, whereas redshank has shorter, denser spikes, with often a dark V-shaped blotch on the leaves.

🍃 Leaves

Ovate-lanceolate, heart-shaped at the base, bright green

🌸 Flowers

Dense cylindrical spikes of small pale pink flowers

🍎 Fruits

Small trigonous achenes

🪵 Bark

Twisted underground rhizome, erect clump

🗺️ Distribution

Europe, temperate Asia; found in wet meadows, mostly in the northern half and mountain areas of France.

🐝 Value for pollinators

Dense pink spikes rich in nectar, attractive to bees, bumblebees and butterflies in summer.

✂️ Horticultural uses

Damp borders, pond edges, wildflower meadows; summer flowering in decorative erect spikes.

⚠️ Possible toxicity

No known toxicity, young leaves traditionally edible.

⚠️ Look-alike species

Common bistort

Bistorta officinalis

Redshank

Persicaria maculosa

Common bistort has a single, longer cylindrical pink spike at the top of a bare stem, with no blotch on the leaves, whereas redshank has shorter, denser spikes, with often a dark V-shaped blotch on the leaves.

🌿 Other Polygonaceae to discover

Persicaria amplexicaulis

Curled dock

Rumex crispus

ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.

🌱 This database is constantly evolving — species and information are added and corrected regularly. Spotted a mistake? Report it below.