Rigidum Knotweed (Polygonum rigidum)

Family: Polygonaceae | Edibility: Edible (1/5)

Polygonum rigidum is a ANNUAL growing to 0.5 m (1ft 8in). It is in flower from June to August, and the seeds ripen from July to September. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs). Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.

Edible Parts & Harvest Seasons

Edible Parts: Nuts/Seeds, Leaves

Harvest Seasons: Early Summer, Fall, Late Summer, Spring

Flavor & Culinary Uses

Leaves and young shoot tips - raw or cooked. An emergency food, used when all else fails. Seed - raw or cooked. It is rather small and fiddly to utilize. — Leaves and young shoot tips - raw or cooked.; An emergency food, used when all else fails.; Seed - raw or cooked.; It is rather small and fiddly to utilize.

Habitat & North American Range

Near fields or roadsides, shaded grassy places in valleys at elevations of 400 - 2500 metres in Gansu, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Nei Mongol, Shaanxi and Shanxi Provinces. (Zone 4, Zone 5, Zone 6, Zone 7, Zone 8)