Bloody Dock

Bloody Dock (Rumex sanguineus, commonly known as Red-Veined Dock or blood dock) is a striking herbaceous perennial plant belonging to the buckwheat family, Polygonaceae. It is widely celebrated in traditional gardening and landscaping for its distinct, ornamental foliage.

Quick Plant Facts

• Plant Type: Herbaceous perennial (grown primarily as a leafy ornamental or culinary herb)

• Mature Size: 12 to 24 inches tall and wide, forming a neat, clump-forming rosette

• Hardiness Zones: USDA Zones 4 through 9

• Growth Rate: Fast and reliable

• Care Difficulty: Very easy

Appearance & Identification

• Foliage: The signature feature is its narrow, lance-shaped green leaves dramatically slashed with brilliant blood-red or purple veins.

• Flowers: In late spring to summer, it sends up tall, slender flower spikes bearing insignificant greenish-brown flowers that later turn brown and produce seeds.

• Culinary Use: The young, tender leaves can be harvested and eaten raw in salads or cooked like spinach. As the leaves mature, they develop a slightly bitter, tangy flavor due to oxalic acid content.

deal Water Parameters

• Temperature Range: 72°F to 82°F (22°C to 28°C)

• pH Range: 6.5 to 7.5

• Water Hardness: Soft to moderately hard

Essential Care Needs

1. Substrate & Root Feeding (Critical)

• True to its genus, this is a heavy root feeder that demands a nutrient-rich substrate like aquasoil or standard gravel/sand paired with routine root tabs.

2. Lighting & CO2

• Lighting: It can persist in moderate light, but moderate-to-high lighting is essential to coax out the deepest, most vivid pink and red tones.

• CO2 Injection: Not required.

• Pruning: Clip away older outer leaves at the base whenever necessary to prompt the center to generate fresh, brightly colored growth.

• Transition Period: If the plant was grown emersed prior to acquisition, expect some initial "melt" as it sheds its old leaves and adjusts to being fully submerged.