Rumex salicifolius
Willow dock
Photo by Chez Brungraber
Family: Polygonaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Rumex salicifolius (Willow dock) is a native California herb in the Polygonaceae family, recognized by . Very narrow, willow-like leaves distinctive.
Willow dock is a California native perennial found in the Sierra Nevada, Central Western, Southwestern, Southern Eastern Sierra Nevada, and Desert bioregions in wet places, margins, and rocky slopes at elevations below 3,500 meters. Flowering from May to July, this plant produces small clustered flowers with inner perianth lobes in widely triangular shapes. Growing with ascending to erect stems 30 to 90 centimeters tall and featuring axillary shoots, it develops a vertical taproot. Its leaves are lance-linear, 5 to 13 centimeters long and 0.5 to 2.5 centimeters wide, with entire margins that are sometimes slightly wavy. The fruit is small, dark red-brown, and approximately 2 millimeters long.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 20 sympatric species. Very narrow, willow-like leaves distinctive.
Habitat and range
Habitat: Wet places, margins, rocky slopes
Elevation: < 3500 m
California counties: Ventura, Inyo, Kern, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Monterey, Orange, Santa Cruz, Mono, Lassen, Mendocino, Modoc, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Alpine, Placer, Marin, Trinity, Sonoma, Del Norte, Lake, San Benito, Siskiyou, Solano, Sutter, Tuolumne, Alameda, El Dorado, Fresno, San Francisco, Santa Clara, Shasta, Tulare, Sacramento, Butte, Colusa, Tehama, Napa, Humboldt, Nevada, Mariposa, Glenn, Yolo, Amador
Outside California: to Nevada, Arizona, northern Mexico
Bloom period
Rumex salicifolius blooms May-Jul.
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 salicifolius native to California?
Yes. Rumex salicifolius is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Rumex salicifolius bloom?
Rumex salicifolius blooms May-Jul.
Where in California does Rumex salicifolius grow?
Rumex salicifolius occurs in Ventura, Inyo, Kern, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara and other counties, at elevations of < 3500 m.
What plant family does Rumex salicifolius belong to?
Rumex salicifolius is in the Polygonaceae family, genus Rumex.
What habitat does Rumex salicifolius grow in?
Rumex salicifolius grows in Wet places, margins, rocky slopes.
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.