Rumex pulcher
Fiddle dock
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Family: Polygonaceae · Type: Herb · Not Native
Rumex pulcher (Fiddle dock) is a non-native California herb in the Polygonaceae family, recognized by . Fiddle-shaped leaves and multiple marginal teeth diagnostic.
Fiddle dock is a naturalized perennial herb found in California in disturbed places, meadows, and various moisture habitats at elevations generally below 1,500 meters. Flowering from May to September, this plant produces small flowers in open, interrupted whorls with spreading branches. Growing with erect to arching stems 20 to 60 centimeters tall that are slender and branched, it develops a vertical fusiform taproot. Its lance-oblong to ovate-oblong leaves measure 4 to 10 centimeters long with entire or slightly wavy margins, featuring a base that is cordate, rounded, or truncate. The fruit is dark red-brown to nearly black, with distinctive inner perianth lobes that have triangular teeth and typically three warty tubercles.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 21 sympatric species. Fiddle-shaped leaves and multiple marginal teeth diagnostic.
Habitat and range
Habitat: Disturbed places, meadows, moist or dry habitats
Elevation: generally < 1500 m
California counties: Santa Barbara, Yuba, Butte, Monterey, San Diego, Imperial, Riverside, Sonoma, Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Tulare, Ventura, San Luis Obispo, Merced, Sacramento, Placer, Colusa, El Dorado, Sutter, Marin, Calaveras, Contra Costa, Humboldt, Lake, Napa, Plumas, San Joaquin, Santa Cruz, Solano, Tuolumne, Alameda, Mendocino, Nevada, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Del Norte, Amador, Tehama, Stanislaus, Yolo, Mariposa
Outside California: Oregon, Nevada, Oklahoma, Arizona, eastern United States, native to Mediterranean
Bloom period
Rumex pulcher blooms May-Sep.
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 pulcher native to California?
No. Rumex pulcher is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Rumex pulcher bloom?
Rumex pulcher blooms May-Sep.
Where in California does Rumex pulcher grow?
Rumex pulcher occurs in Santa Barbara, Yuba, Butte, Monterey, San Diego, Imperial, Riverside, Sonoma and other counties, at elevations of generally < 1500 m.
What plant family does Rumex pulcher belong to?
Rumex pulcher is in the Polygonaceae family, genus Rumex.
What habitat does Rumex pulcher grow in?
Rumex pulcher grows in Disturbed places, meadows, moist or dry habitats.
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.