All plants /Ground /Curly Dock
Curly Dock
Rumex crispus, buckwheat family. Abundant in East and Central and West Texas.
At a glance
- What
- Young leaves; seeds for flour
- How
- Leaves cooked like spinach; seeds ground
- When
- Cool season for leaves
- Where
- Fields, ditches, disturbed ground
- Value
- Vitamins A and C; iron
Caution: Like spinach it is high in oxalates, so cook the leaves and eat in moderation, not by the bowlful. Never eat a wild plant on this guide's word alone. Confirm identity against several sources and learn the look-alikes first.
Identification
A rosette of long wavy-edged leaves that sends up a stalk of rusty-brown seeds standing through winter, a roadside landmark.
In the kitchen
Young leaves cook down tart and lemony; the abundant seeds can be rubbed free and ground into a buckwheat-like flour.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons contributor, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Forages well with
Forage safely. Never eat a wild plant on this site's word alone. Confirm identity with several sources, learn the look-alikes, and when in doubt, leave it in the ground.