.Smartweed PhotosMembers of the genus Polygonum, colloquially known as Smartweed, Knotweed, Ladysthumb, Bindweed, Tearthumb or Bistort, can be very difficult to identify by specie. Many look quite similar, and will often hybridize with one another. The ones of most interest to duck hunters all have very pale pink (almost white) to deep pink clusters of flowers at the terminal end of multiple flower spikes. All have long, rather thin leaves, or lancelate leaves. All have a ring formed around the stalk where the leaf stem joins the stalk, and the stalk bends at each of these many junctures. These bends somewhat look like knees, and give the plant it's genus name. Literally translated, Polygonum means; many knees. . It doesn't really matter to the duck hunter what the exact specie is, as long as it is presenting seeds to ducks sometime during teal season or regular duck season. Smartweeds usually do just that. It is EXCELENT wild duck food! All of these specimens were found in Texas in July and August of a VERY dry year. They typically don't start dropping seed until mid August or later. That times it just about right for Teal season. Even though dropped in August, any seeds still on the surface in November through January will still be edible to a duck. The seeds of these naturally occurring wetland plants are very durable. In fact, many can stay in the soil, in a dormant state, for many years and still be viable. As a side note here, some of the best dove hunting I've ever experienced was in the December dove season, on a dried out flood plain, that grew a lot of smartweed earlier in the year. Every dove we shot was full of those small black seeds. .
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