Other pictures of this plant:

               Seedpod                                           Leaf                                            Stem                                        Seed                                          Habit

               Seedling

Facts About this Plant:

Synonyms: Polygonum arifolium, Tracaulon arifolium
Lifespan: Annual
Zones: N/A
Type: Forb
Bloom Time: June - October
Status: Native
Range:


Persicaria arifolia, or Halberdleaf Tearthumb, is native to about the northeastern quarter of the United States, but extends into the Southeast some as well. It is an annual that grows in ditches, swamps, marshes, fens, wet meadows, wet woods and streambanks. It blooms from mid summer into fall, with small pink or sometimes white flowers.

Although the flowers of this plant look very much like other Persicaria species, P. arifolia is fairly unique in that its leaves form a very distinct triangle shape. The most similar species, is Persicaria sagittata, which is also an annual and which looks very similar and has the same overall habitat, and overall habit and stems look about the same, but it does not have triangular shaped leaves and its leaves do not flare out on the sides. See photo for comparison.



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