Rumex crispus
Curly dock
(c) Thayne Tuason, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · licence
Family: Polygonaceae · Type: Herb · Not Native
Conservation status: Cal-IPC Yes
Rumex crispus (Curly dock) is a non-native California herb in the Polygonaceae family, recognized by . Strongly wavy leaf margins.
Curly dock is a naturalized perennial herb found throughout California in disturbed places at elevations below 2,700 meters. Flowering all year, this plant produces small green to reddish-brown flowers in dense terminal clusters with whorled branches. Growing to 4 to 10 meters tall with an erect stem that often branches above the middle, it develops a vertical fusiform taproot. Its distinctive leaves are 15 to 30 centimeters long with strongly wavy margins, particularly near the base, and lance-linear to lanceolate in shape. The fruit is small, typically 2 to 3 millimeters long and red-brown in color, with three distinctive tubercles on its inner perianth lobes.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 21 sympatric species. Strongly wavy leaf margins are diagnostic.
Habitat and range
Habitat: Abundant. Disturbed places
Elevation: < 2700 m
California counties: San Luis Obispo, San Diego, Riverside, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Orange, Santa Barbara, El Dorado, Inyo, Yolo, Kern, Ventura, Monterey, Mono, Santa Clara, Sonoma, Placer, Fresno, Solano, Humboldt, Imperial, Amador, Yuba, Lake, Calaveras, Sutter, Nevada, Sacramento, Modoc, Alpine, Alameda, Marin, Colusa, Glenn, Mariposa, Napa, San Joaquin, Tehama, Trinity, Butte, Contra Costa, Lassen, Madera, Mendocino, Merced, Plumas, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Siskiyou, Tulare, Tuolumne, Del Norte, Sierra, Stanislaus
Outside California: worldwide, native to Eurasia
Bloom period
Rumex crispus blooms All year.
Conservation status
Cal-IPC Yes
How to tell it apart
vs Anemopsis: Rumex has dense flower clusters; Anemopsis has a single white cone-like flower head.; vs Amaranthus: Rumex has papery three-winged fruits; Amaranthus has small round seeds with papery covers.; vs Plantago: Rumex has branching flower clusters; Plantago has flowers in dense cylindrical spikes.; vs Eriogonum: Rumex has large broad leaves; Eriogonum typically has small basal leaf rosettes or mats.; vs Limonium: Rumex has green to reddish flower clusters; Limonium has papery purple or pink flowers.
Frequently asked questions
Is Rumex crispus native to California?
No. Rumex crispus is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Rumex crispus bloom?
Rumex crispus blooms All year.
Where in California does Rumex crispus grow?
Rumex crispus occurs in San Luis Obispo, San Diego, Riverside, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Orange, Santa Barbara, El Dorado and other counties, at elevations of < 2700 m.
What plant family does Rumex crispus belong to?
Rumex crispus is in the Polygonaceae family, genus Rumex.
Is Rumex crispus invasive in California?
Rumex crispus is listed by Cal-IPC with an invasiveness rating of Yes.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.