Rumex sanguineus, commonly known as bloody dock or red veined dock, is a perennial flowering plant species in the family Polygonaceae. Rumex sanguineus is a dicot and can be observed in Europe with at least two varieties.
Rumex sanguineus, known by a number of different common names including bloody dock or red-veined dock, is a tap-rooted rosette-forming perennial of the buckwheat family that typically grows in a rounded foliage clump to 18” tall and as wide. It is primarily grown as a decorative foliage accent to showcase its oblong to lance-shaped medium green leaves (to 6” long) which are prominently veined with contrasting red to purple. It is also sometimes grown in vegetable/herb gardens for harvest of its edible young leaves. In early summer, tiny star-shaped flowers appear in panicles atop reddish-tinged stems growing to 30” tall. Flowers emerge green, but mature to reddish brown. Flowers are followed by reddish-brown fruit. In addition to its ornamental virtues, the young leaves of this plant are edible and add interesting color and a spinach-like taste to salads
