- Wildlife
- Wildflowers
- Curled Dock
northeastwildlife.co.uk
About
Curled Dock is a very common plant found in gardens, waste ground, roadside verges, hedgerows and by water. As with other docks, it is often considered a weed of arable and disturbed ground, although it may be left alone on grazing land as extra herbage. As with many of our 'weed' species, Curled Dock shows incredible resistance to change; for example, it can be submerged in floodwaters for up to eight weeks and still survive, despite its preference for drier soils.
How to identify
Curled Dock has much more slender leaves than Broad-leaved Dock, usually tapering to a point and with wavy margins. Tall flower spikes have very densely packed flowers and seeds.
Where to find it
Widespread.
Habitats
When to find it
- January
- February
- March
- April
- May
- June
- July
- August
- September
- October
- Novermber
- December
- January
- February
- March
- April
- May
- June
- July
- August
- September
How can people help
Many of our so-called 'weeds' are beneficial to wildlife, providing food for nectar-loving insects and shelter for minibeasts. Try leaving wilder areas in your garden, such as patches of flowers in your lawn, Stinging Nettles near the compost heap and Curled Dock in the vegetable patch, and see who comes to visit... To find out more about wildlife-friendly gardening, visit our Wild About Gardens website: a joint initiative with the RHS, there's plenty of facts and tips to get you started.