SimplePlant

Polygonaceae

Yard knotweed

Polygonum aviculare L.

Family
Polygonaceae
Genus
Polygonum

Pets and kids

  • CatsNot sure
  • DogsNot sure
  • KidsNot sure
Why

Cats: Not sure

We found no reliable source on this plant for cats, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with your vet.

Dogs: Not sure

We found no reliable source on this plant for dogs, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with your vet.

Kids: Not sure

We found no reliable source on this plant for young children, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with a doctor or poison control.

Ate some? Call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 (a fee may apply). For a child, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 (US). If they are struggling to breathe or collapse, call 911. Don't give anything by mouth unless a vet or poison expert tells you to.

Yard knotweed (Polygonum aviculare)
FlowerPhoto: Douglas Goldman, CC BY-SA 4.0, from iNaturalist

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Common names

By language (66)
aeb
ڨرضاب
Afrikaans
Varkgras
Arabic
عصا الراعي, الصغير الأنثى, ام العقد, بطباط, حنجر, شبط الغول, طرنة, عصى الراعي
Armenian
Ճնճղապաշար
arz
عصا الراعى
Asturian
Bonizu
azb
قوش قیرخ بوغومو
Azerbaijani
Quş qırxbuğumu
ba
Күгүлән
Basque
Odolur
Belarusian
Драсён птушыны
Breton
Milskoulm
Bulgarian
Пача трева
Catalan
Passacamins, Centinòdia, Herba de cent nussos
Chinese
萹蓄, 匾蓄, 多茎萹蓄, 扁竹, 扁蓄, 扁蕾, 竹叶草, 篇蓄
Croatian
Oputina
csb
Ptôszé zelé
cv
Вĕçенкайăк чăмчамĕ
Czech
Truskavec ptačí, Rdesno ptačí
Danish
Vej-Pileurt
Dutch
Gewoon varkensgras
English
Yard knotweed, Prostrate knotweed, Knotgrass, Common knotgrass
Esperanto
Birdeta poligono
Estonian
Erilehine linnurohi, Ahtalehine linnurohi
Finnish
Pihatatar, Kotipihatatar, Jäsenheinä, Kananruoho, Kartanoheinä, Kusiruoho, Sianheinä, Isopihatatar
French
Renouée des oiseaux, Renouee des oiseaux
frr
Spridjelgäärs
German
Vogelknöterich, Vogel-Knöterich, Echter Vogel-Knöterich, Echter Vogelknöterich
grc
Πολύγονον ἄρρεν, Κυνοχάλκη
Icelandic
Blóðarfi
Indonesian
Anatomical
Irish
Glúineach bheag
Italian
Correggiola
Japanese
ミチヤナギ
kab
Zzenṭar
Kazakh
Қызылтаспа
Korean
마디풀
Latvian
Maura sūrene
Lithuanian
Takažolė
lzh
萹蓄
Macedonian
Птичја подворка
mdf
Нар, Нардише, Шапама нар
mwl
Sempre-noiva
myv
Тувонар
Norwegian Bokmål
Tungras, Tunslirekne
os
Лæджирттæг
pcd
Salouche, Iérpe-às-còchons, Iérpe-éd-pourchoe
Persian
پلیگنوم اویکالار
Polish
Rdest ptasi, Świńska trawa
Portuguese
Sempre-noiva, Estende-braço
Romanian
Troscot
Russian
Горец птичий, Гречишка, Гусиная трава, Птичья гречиха, Спорыш
sah
Чыычаах ото
Serbian
Троскот
sgs
Takžuolė
Sindhi
سکمرد
Slovak
Stavikrv vtáčí, Truskavec
Slovenian
Ptičja dresen
Spanish
Cien nudos, Ciennudos, Cinchos, Correguela de los caminos, Corregüela de caminos, Corregüela de los caminos, Correhuela de peñas, Enredamarria
Swedish
Trampört, Nordtrampört, Smal trampört, Småbladig trampört, Spetstrampört, Stolt trampört, Stor trampört, Trampgräs
Tajik
Раҳдавак
Turkish
Çoban Değneği
Ukrainian
Спориш звичайний, Гірчак звичайний
Vietnamese
Biển súc
Welsh
Y canclwm
wuu
萹蓄

Synonyms

  • Avicularia vulgaris Didrichs.
  • Centinodium axillare Friche-Joset & Montandon
  • Polygonum aequale subsp. oedocarpum Lindm.
  • Polygonum agreste Sumnev.
  • Polygonum aphyllum Krock.
  • Polygonum araraticum Kom.
  • Polygonum aviculare subsp. aviculare
  • Polygonum aviculare subsp. heterophyllum (Lindm.) Asch. & Graebn.
  • Polygonum aviculare subsp. monspeliense (Thiéb.-Bern. ex Pers.) Arcang.
  • Polygonum aviculare subsp. neglectum (Besser) Arcang.
  • Polygonum aviculare subsp. rectum Chrtek
  • Polygonum aviculare var. angustissimum Meisn.
  • Polygonum aviculare var. aviculare
  • Polygonum aviculare var. eximium Asch. & Graebn.
  • Polygonum aviculare var. heterophyllum (Lindm.) Munshi & Javeid
  • Polygonum aviculare var. neglectum (Besser) Rchb.
  • Polygonum aviculare var. vegetum Ledeb.
  • Polygonum berteroi Phil.
  • Polygonum ganderbalense Munshi & Javeid
  • Polygonum heterophyllum Lindm.
  • Polygonum heterophyllum f. rubescens (Small) Brenckle
  • Polygonum heterophyllum var. angustissimum (Meisn.) Lindm.
  • Polygonum heterophyllum var. caespitosum Lindm.
  • Polygonum heterophyllum var. eximium Lindm.
  • Polygonum heterophyllum var. rubescens (Small) R.J.Davis
  • Polygonum monspeliense Thiéb.-Bern. ex Pers.
  • Polygonum neglectum Besser
  • Polygonum procumbens Gilib.
  • Polygonum retinerve Vorosch.
  • Polygonum rubescens Small
  • Polygonum scythicum Klokov
  • Polygonum striatum K.Koch
  • Polygonum uruguense H.Gross

Flowers

In flower
June to October (from 993 flowering iNaturalist observations worldwide)

Characteristics

Growth habit
Forb/herb
Lifespan
Annual, Perennial
In the US and Canada
Alaska: introduced, Canada: introduced, Greenland: introduced, Hawaii: introduced, Lower 48 states: introduced, St. Pierre and Miquelon: introduced

Photos

More in Polygonum

Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.