Today, let’s dive into the world of docks, focusing on two tasty wild plants: Rumex crispus, also known as curly dock, and R. obtusifolius, or broad-leaved dock. The Rumex genus splits neatly into docks and sorrels, each worthy of their own spotlight. We’ll save the sorrels for another chat soon, but for now, let’s explore the delicious docks!
What is Dock Plant?
Dock plants, often overlooked today, were a staple during the Depression era due to their sharp, lemony taste and easy availability. Every spring, I forage for these hardy perennials, blanching and freezing them to enjoy throughout the year.
Thriving in both moist and arid conditions, docks are adaptable survivors, growing well from Pennsylvania’s rainy climate to the drier regions of northern New Mexico. Their deep taproots help them withstand droughts, making them a robust addition to any forager’s basket.
Where to Find Dock Plants?
You’ll typically find docks in open, uncultivated areas like fields or near drainage systems. They burst into life early in the spring as one of the first greens to appear, forming a low rosette of leaves. By summer, they shoot up tall flower stalks laden with seeds that can be harvested and ground into gluten-free flour.
Identifying Features:
- Leaves: Starting as a central rosette, dock leaves are oblong or spear-shaped, smooth, deep green with a reddish tinge as they mature, reaching up to 30cm. Curled Dock, in particular, features distinctively wavy edges.
- Flowers: The robust, reddish stems of dock end in clusters of small greenish flowers, which mature to red. These clusters can persist through the winter, making them easy to spot.
- Seeds: Look for the reddish-brown, dry, papery seeds when docks mature.
Despite its abundance, dock comes with a caution; it’s high in oxalic acid, which can be harmful in large quantities and may trigger allergic reactions like hay fever or asthma.
Common Confusions:
While unmistakable to some, dock leaves can be mistaken for burdock or foxglove. Burdock leaves are wider, matte, and hairy, with distinctly different flowers and seeds that are also edible but slightly bitter.
On the other hand, foxglove—a plant definitely not for consumption—features pointed, matte, hairy leaves and very different flowering characteristics.
Quick Facts:
- Common Names: Dock, Broad-leaves Dock, Curled Dock, Bitter Dock, Butter Dock
- Botanical Name: Rumex species
- Family: Polygonaceae (Buckwheat family)
Whether for its culinary value or simply as a resilient wild plant, dock is a fascinating species worth knowing and using. Keep an eye out for last year’s tall, reddish-brown flower stalks during early spring; new growth sprouts from their bases, heralding the return of this robust edible.
Exploring Edible Docks: What You Need to Know
In the U.S. and Europe, curly dock and broad-leaved dock top the list of common edible varieties. You might also come across others like the western dock (R. occidentalis), yard dock (R. longifolius), and field dock (R. stenphyllus).
A standout in the American Southwest is the wild rhubarb (R. hymenosepalus), known for its size and juiciness. It’s not just a food but also a traditional dye source for various Indigenous tribes.
Then there’s patience dock (R. patientia), which has a history of cultivation as a vegetable in both the U.S. and Europe. Today, it’s still grown by a handful of enthusiasts and sometimes pops up wild. It’s known for its large, tender leaves that might just be tastier than other docks. You can even find its seeds online!
Identifying docks can be fun too! Look for the ocrea, a thin sheath around the place where leaves spring out, which browns as it ages. It’s a handy clue about the plant’s tenderness and flavor. Another cool feature is the stems’ mucilaginous feel, especially when the leaves are young.
Now, about that tangy taste—it’s thanks to oxalic acid, the same stuff in spinach. If you’ve been advised to avoid spinach due to the risk of kidney stones, you might want to skip docks too. However, if you’re generally healthy and don’t overdo it, you should be fine enjoying docks in moderation. Still worried? It’s better to play it safe.
Every part of the dock plant has been used as food or medicine for centuries. The leaves and shoots have a zesty, lemon-like flavor and work great raw in salads or cooked like spinach.
Dried and powdered, the leaves are excellent on fish and seafood. Stems make a crunchy snack or a sweet stewed treat as a rhubarb substitute. The seeds? Boil them into a porridge or mill them into a gluten-free flour. And fun fact: fresh leaves were historically used to wrap and preserve butter!
Remember, once the plant flowers, the leaves become too tough and bitter. So, enjoy them while they’re young and fresh!
Curly Dock
Getting to Know Curly Dock: Identification, Habitat, and Uses
Curly dock, or Rumex crispus, might not catch your eye at first glance. It’s a humble plant without flashy blooms and has rather plain-looking leaves. Despite being less common in cities compared to weeds like dandelions, it’s a plant worth getting to know due to its edible and medicinal properties—from its leaves to its roots. Plus, it’s found just about everywhere!
Also known by names like yellow dock, sour dock, or narrowleaf dock, depending on the region, curly dock highlights why using the botanical name can be handy. This name stays consistent whether you’re in Umea, Sweden, or Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Curly dock thrives in various environments, whether in full sun or partial shade, and it’s not picky about where it grows—be it along roadsides, trails, or open fields. Originally from Europe, it has made its way to every state in the U.S. and almost all Canadian provinces.
The plant is named for its wavy leaf edges, although these can vary widely. Younger plants often have less wavy, broader leaves, while mature plants feature narrower leaves with pronounced waves. The root of the plant is yellow and notably bitter, commonly used in traditional medicine or even in making cocktail bitters.
The leaves are smooth, long, and narrow, with the wavy edges that give curly dock its name. It sports both basal and stem leaves, with the basal ones reaching up to 12 inches long. The plant itself can grow between one to five feet tall, with a sturdy, ribbed main stem.
Its flowers, which cluster at the top, may not stand out due to their small, greenish hue but appear in large groups. By late summer and fall, the plant produces distinctly shaped, three-sided seeds, housed in a brown, papery capsule—these seeds are key to identifying curly dock in the winter.
If you’re new to curly dock, don’t rush to harvest it in the off-season. Instead, take time to familiarize yourself with it during the growing months, observe its changes, and only then consider collecting the seeds from the winter stalks. This method ensures accurate plant identification year-round.
Harvest and Preparation
Curly dock, often overlooked, really shines when you find it young and tender—just look for freshly unfurled leaves that are still creased. These early signs promise a deliciously tender treat.
- Foraging Begins Early
As spring kicks off, start your search for dock leaves. The earlier you harvest, the sweeter and more tender they’ll be, though this can vary with the growing conditions. I remember once stumbling upon a lush patch in an open pine forest; the leaves were not only bigger and brighter but tasted incredibly similar to spinach—only better, with a zesty, lemony kick.
It turned out that previous, less tasty experiences were due to the plants struggling in poor, gravelly soil. This just goes to show why it’s worth trying the same wild plants from different areas!
- Leaves and Stems: A Culinary Adventure
You can enjoy dock leaves raw or cooked, but once the plant matures and sends up a stem, the lower leaves might turn tough and bitter. However, the stem’s leaves might still be good, and the stem itself is a real treat. Harvest these in late spring or early summer, before they fully mature and flower. They should feel flexible and easy to bend.
If they’re tender, try them raw, or cook them by steaming or sautéing. You might even want to experiment with pickling them. They have a fresh, green flavor, reminiscent of green beans.
- A Note on Oxalic Acid
While dock leaves and stems are known for their tangy flavor thanks to oxalic acid, it’s important to note that this compound can hinder the absorption of minerals like calcium and iron.
However, this isn’t just a wild plant issue—many garden varieties like rhubarb, spinach, and Swiss chard also contain oxalic acid. There’s often an unjust bias against wild foods, though moderate consumption generally isn’t a cause for concern unless you have a mineral deficiency.
- Roots and Beyond
Curly dock is a resilient perennial, returning each year. The best time for root harvesting is from fall after its first year or in early spring before it starts flowering again, as this is when the roots are rich in starches.
In colder climates like Minneapolis where the ground freezes, digging up roots in winter might not be an option, but in milder regions, you can harvest all winter long.
- Seeds: An Overlooked Resource
Curly dock seeds, related to buckwheat, are also edible and worth the effort despite the processing they require. Harvest them in late summer when they turn brown and dry.
Simply cut the entire stem, strip the seeds directly into a container, and grind them into flour. While the flour is gluten-free and high in fiber, mixing it with wheat flour can make it easier to work with.
Recipe: Curly Dock Crackers
Dive into the rich, earthy taste of these homemade curly dock crackers! They pair perfectly with tangy treats like pickles, rhubarb preserves, or your favorite chutney. Ideal for serving a group of 4 to 6, these crackers will add a delightful crunch to your snack selection.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of ground curly dock seed
- 1 cup of your preferred flour (I go for all-purpose)
- 1 teaspoon of sea salt
- Water to mix
Instructions:
- Start by combining the curly dock seed, flour, and sea salt in a mixing bowl. Gradually add water, stirring until the dough becomes pliable and smooth, not sticky.
- Dust a flat surface with flour and roll out the dough until it’s thin. Cut it into your chosen shapes and arrange them on a greased baking sheet.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 375°F for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the crackers are golden and crispy.
Medicinal Properties
A Powerhouse of Health Benefits
Curly dock, also known as yellow dock for its vibrant yellow roots, packs a nutritional punch! It outshines oranges with its vitamin C content and carrots with its vitamin A levels. Plus, it’s rich in vitamins B1 and B2, as well as iron.
Though people have used curly dock to ease nettle stings for ages, the effectiveness of this remedy isn’t well-supported by evidence, leading some to believe it’s merely a placebo.
This plant is a staple in traditional herbal medicine, praised for its ability to stop bleeding and purify the blood. The leaf juice works wonders as a compress to treat bruises.
Looking for a natural cough remedy? The seeds are helpful for treating coughs, colds, and bronchitis, while the roots tackle everything from jaundice and liver issues to skin conditions and rheumatism. Not to mention, they can ease digestive troubles like constipation and diarrhea.
The yellow root owes its color to anthraquinone, a compound known for its laxative properties. It not only relieves constipation but also stimulates bile flow, aiding digestion and soothing the intestinal lining—great for irritable bowel syndrome. The root’s diuretic action helps reduce bloating and tackle urinary issues, enhancing its soothing capabilities.
For those dealing with skin inflammations such as eczema, psoriasis, or nettle rash, curly dock’s roots offer relief and healing benefits. It’s also effective against internal inflammations like arthritis.
- How to Brew a Yellow Dock Decoction
To harness these benefits, it’s best to prepare a decoction. This involves boiling the root (use ½ cup of freshly chopped root or about 3 tablespoons if dried) in 3 cups of cold water in a non-reactive pot. Simmer it until the liquid reduces by one-third, strain, and enjoy either hot or cold.
You can store this decoction in the fridge for up to 48 hours. The typical dose is one cup, three times a day, though this can vary based on individual needs and conditions. Remember, a decoction is ideal for tough plant materials like roots, to fully extract their potent elements.
Broad-leaved dock
Broad-Leaved Dock: Identifying and Leveraging Its Unique Traits
In the UK, you’ll commonly find two types of dock plants: the broad-leaved dock (Rumex obtusifolius) and the curled dock (R. crispus), along with their hybrids. These hybrids, though producing fewer seeds, tend to be more robust than their parent plants, sometimes overtaking entire fields.
Interestingly, fertile hybrids exist, likely due to backcrossing with one of the parent species. The broad-leaved dock, known for its variability, comes in many forms and has three recognized subspecies in the UK.
While both broad-leaved and curled docks share similar growth features like a taproot system and mucilaginous texture, their leaves show noticeable differences. Broad-leaved dock has wider, more elliptical leaves that are somewhat wavy but lack the intense ripples seen in curly dock leaves.
- Other names: Broadleaf dock, butter dock, cushy-cows, kettle dock, smair dock
- Latin names:Â Rumex obtusifolius L.
- Weed Type:Â Perennial Broad-leaved Weeds
Often referred to as bitter dock, the mature leaves of the broad-leaved dock can be bitter—a trait it shares with other favored bitter greens like arugula and radicchio. These greens, known for their distinct flavors, blend wonderfully with milder varieties when cooked.
Broad-leaved dock thrives across Britain without any specific climate restrictions, predominantly populating grasslands. However, it only establishes in open or disturbed areas, often stemming from uneven slurry or manure application that exposes bare patches.
The plant also benefits from poor grassland management, such as overgrazing or inadequate maintenance, which promotes its growth in compacted soil areas like pastures and gateways.
This plant can grow in various soils, but it favors those with high nitrogen or low potassium levels. Interestingly, while some studies suggest an increase in dock populations with higher soil potassium levels, others disagree.
Some argue that broad-leaved docks in grasslands aren’t problematic weeds since they contribute nutrients to the pasture and offer trace elements to grazing animals’ diets. High in phosphate, potassium, and especially magnesium, these docks also contain tannins that help prevent bloat in cattle by binding soluble proteins in the stomach.
Lastly, broad-leaved dock also plays a role in the ecosystem as a host for pests like the potato eelworm and serves as an alternate host for the bean aphid and mangold fly, besides harboring larvae such as those of the swift moth.
Growth and Regeneration Insights
Broad-leaved dock is a prolific plant that blooms from June to October. If you remove the shoots early on, you’ll delay its flowering. Once mature, a single plant can yield up to 60,000 seeds annually, which start to mature soon after flowering.
Interestingly, even if you cut the stems a few days post-flowering, the seeds can still ripen. These seeds are typically ready to drop from late summer to winter, although they might need a brief period to become fully ripe for germination. However, don’t expect seedlings to bloom in their first year.
Seed germination varies widely, influenced by differences in seed size, coat thickness, ripening time, and maternal factors, not to mention the impact of defoliation on seed development. Germination can be enhanced by light exposure, temperature fluctuations, chilling, adding nitrates, or scarifying the seeds.
When conditions are right, broad-leaved dock seeds can germinate throughout the year, especially in March-April and July-October. They sprout best at or near the soil surface, though in warmer summer months, they can emerge from deeper down.
Dense foliage overhead can inhibit their growth. While seedlings initially struggle to compete, once their deep taproots are established, they outcompete shallower-rooted plants and become tough to remove.
Broad-leaved docks are resilient, surviving trampling and mowing, and will regenerate quickly if cut down, often forming large clumps. Below the surface, the plant features a vertical stem and a branching taproot system that extends up to 5 cm and is anchored by root contraction.
Over winter, the dock forms a rosette of small, dark leaves and a stout taproot, gearing up for rapid spring growth.
Interestingly, dock seeds have been found to number around 5 million per acre, with a unique chemical that protects them from microbial decay, allowing them to survive in soil for over 50 years. In pastures, docks can live for many years, forming complex structures with multiple taproots.
There’s some debate among experts about the plant’s regenerative capabilities from its various underground parts, but many agree that it can regrow from almost any piece if detached.
How and When to Harvest Broad-Leaved Dock
Broad-leaved dock is delightfully edible at various growth stages. For the most succulent leaves and a hint of lemon, harvest the young leaves before the plant begins to flower. Aim to pick the two to six smallest leaves at the center of each cluster. These leaves might still be curling open and have a gooey texture.
In early to mid-spring, these young leaves are delicious either raw or cooked. If you’re tossing them raw into a salad, consider removing the stems, as their gooey nature might be a bit much.
Don’t discard these stems, though! They can be tough and slightly sour but work wonderfully when chopped and cooked, serving as a great alternative to rhubarb or Japanese knotweed.
Keep in mind, dry conditions and warmer weather tend to make the plants more fibrous and the taste more bitter. Always taste a leaf before harvesting en masse. If it’s a bit tough but still flavorsome, it’ll do well boiled or sautéed. The centers of larger leaves can be fibrous, so you might want to remove them and use the tender leafy parts only.
Dock leaves have a quirky trait; they turn red when bruised but are still perfectly fine to eat if they’re young and fresh. By early summer, most plants will have flowered, losing their tenderness.
However, if you stumble upon a broad-leaved dock in a shady, cool spot that hasn’t flowered even by mid-July, give it a try. It’s safe to eat, and you might be pleasantly surprised by its freshness. As the cooler days of fall return, the dock springs back to life, allowing for a second harvest around October or November, weather permitting.
In the Kitchen
Broad-leaved dock, like many leafy greens, shrinks significantly when cooked—expect it to reduce to about a quarter of its fresh size. Cooking transforms its texture from a somewhat stiff feel to something wonderfully creamy, and shifts its color from a vibrant green to a more muted, brownish hue.
If the raw leaves taste a bit tart, don’t be put off; cooking brings out a delightful, mild lemony flavor. But, if a taste of it raw leaves you cringing, it’s best left out of your kitchen endeavors.
This green shines in a variety of dishes, from stir-fries and soups to stews and anything with eggs. I have a particular fondness for pairing Broad-leaved dock with cream and cheese—the combination enhances its creamy texture and flavor beautifully. And don’t get me started on Broad-leaved dock custard; its exceptional taste is always a pleasant surprise.
Given Broad-leaved dock’s brief peak season, seize the opportunity to harvest it generously. Since it’s often deemed an invasive species in many areas, gathering it in large amounts hardly impacts its population. Blanch and freeze your bounty for future use.
Come the depths of February, when the mere thought of spring greens feels taunting, you’ll thank yourself as you retrieve a bag of frozen Broad-leaved dock from your freezer and indulge in a taste of spring ahead of season.
Management
When dealing with grass and clover areas replanted after infestation, mowing can initially help cut down on young dock plants. However, increasing how often you mow might decrease the root mass but doesn’t necessarily lead to fewer seedlings.
Mowing established docks won’t do much except stop them from producing seeds. Regular mowing can actually promote the growth of seedlings, helping both the root systems and shoots of mature plants to develop more vigorously, setting the stage for future expansion.
Interestingly, frequent mowing, like five to seven times a year, doesn’t seem to impact overall yield even when docks are present. But if you reduce the mowing frequency to three or four times a year, expect to see a drop in total yield and a rise in the amount of dock leaves mixed in.
For pastures heavily laden with docks, your best bet might be to till the area and replant it. However, don’t rush this process. Docks can quickly regrow from roots and seeds, so incorporating a fallow period or some crop rotation can help lessen their comeback.
It’s also wise to keep your pasture in good shape by avoiding damage from excessive foot traffic, compacted soil, and uneven spreading of manure. Cattle manure, high in potassium, can actually benefit docks more than the grass if not managed correctly. Best practices suggest applying manure early in the season at moderate levels or dividing it into multiple applications.
While docks are nibbled on by cattle, sheep, goats, and deer, horses typically pass them by. Using sheep to graze on young docks in the fall and mature ones in March has been recommended to help control these persistent weeds.
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