Curled dock is a Eurasian that grows in wet ground along roadsides, ditches, and fields across the United States. Its long leaves have tightly wavy edges, and its seed stalks turn rusty brown as they mature.
Appearance
Growth form
This perennial grows from a stout and usually reaches 2–5 ft (0.6–1.5 m) tall.
Leaves
The leaves are hairless, narrow to lance-shaped, and strongly curled or wavy along the edges. Smaller leaves continue up the upright stem.
Flowers
Small green flowers crowd into branched clusters. The stems and fruiting clusters turn a distinctive rusty brown as they mature. Its rusty seed stalks often remain standing after the green leaves fade.
Flowering time
Flowers may be visible through much of the year in mild parts of California.
Fruit
Each smooth, reddish-brown seed is triangular in cross-section and enclosed by three papery, winglike flower parts.
Broad-leaved dock has much wider lower leaves, often with a rounded or heart-shaped base. Curled dock has narrower, lance-shaped leaves with strongly rippled edges.
Why they get mixed up · Both are tall perennial docks with large basal leaves and rusty fruiting stalks.