Persicaria maculosa
Common names: redshank, lady’s thumb, spotted lady’s thumb, Jesusplant, red leg; also known as Polygonum persicaria
Description: annual herb
Native regions and distribution: Europe and Asia, naturalized throughout North America, also present in Australia and New Zealand
Urban habitat: along roadsides, riverbanks, disturbed sites
Ecological function: food for insects, including bees, wasps, moths, flies, beetles. Seeds are food source for many birds and for small rodents.
History: In the U.S., Persicaria maculosa was first seen in the Great Lakes region in 1843 and has now spread through most of the continent. A yellow dye can be produced from this plant with alum used as a mordant. Edible parts are leaves and young shoots, which can be eaten raw or cooked. The plant has been used by native American people for medicinal purposes: by the Cherokee and Chippewa as an analgesic, to treat poison ivy, and by the Iroquois for stomach pain, rheumatism, and heart trouble. The plant has also been used medicinally in other parts of the world, including in Europe for treatment of cancerous tumors, and in Iraq and Turkey for inflammation.