Polygonella polygama (Vent.) Engelm. & A. Gray

Showy Jointweed; Common October Flower

Shrub

Perennial

Vascular

Showy Jointweed is a native perennial subshrub (a small shrub usually woody only at the base) in the Buckwheat family (Polygonaceae). It is found in the southern-most counties in Alabama. Showy Jointweed occurs in sandhills, in scrub oak woods, in sandy pinelands, and on old dunes. It is an erect to decumbent perennial with a taproot. The stems are 1-3 feet in height, usually branched from near the base, and glabrous or minutely pubescent. Leaves are alternate, persistent, appearing sessile, spatulate in outline, glabrous, with entire margins. The leaf margin is hyaline towards the tip and the ocrea margins are not ciliate. Flowers are produced in functionally unisexual terminal racemes. The perianth is white or pinkish-red, campanulate, glabrous, with 5 petal-like tepals and 8 stamens. The fruit is a brown achene. Showy Jointweed is sometimes available from native plant nurseries. It has been used for dune restoration. It can also be grown from seed or softwood stem cuttings taken in the summer. Showy Jointweed prefers deep xeric sandy soils in full sun. It is drought tolerant and deer resistant. The flowers attract a wide range of native bees.—A. Diamond.

**

Native

**