{"id":62742,"date":"2023-01-05T11:51:21","date_gmt":"2023-01-05T11:51:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/?p=62742"},"modified":"2025-04-18T11:32:12","modified_gmt":"2025-04-18T10:32:12","slug":"bistort-identification","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/2023\/01\/05\/bistort-identification\/","title":{"rendered":"Bistort\u00a0(Bistorta officinalis) Identification"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1><b>Bistort \/ Spring \/ Summer \/ Autumn \/ Edible<\/b><\/h1>\n<div id='gallery-1' class='gallery galleryid-62742 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-medium'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/2023\/01\/05\/bistort-identification\/bistort-growing-on-a-riverbank-min\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Bistort-growing-on-a-riverbank-min-300x225.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Bistort-growing-on-a-riverbank-min-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Bistort-growing-on-a-riverbank-min-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Bistort-growing-on-a-riverbank-min-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Bistort-growing-on-a-riverbank-min-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Bistort-growing-on-a-riverbank-min-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Bistort-growing-on-a-riverbank-min-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Bistort-growing-on-a-riverbank-min-900x675.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/2023\/01\/05\/bistort-identification\/bistort-leaf-in-hand-min\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Bistort-leaf-in-hand-min-300x225.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Bistort-leaf-in-hand-min-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Bistort-leaf-in-hand-min-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Bistort-leaf-in-hand-min-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Bistort-leaf-in-hand-min-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Bistort-leaf-in-hand-min-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Bistort-leaf-in-hand-min-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Bistort-leaf-in-hand-min-900x675.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/2023\/01\/05\/bistort-identification\/bistort-in-situ-min\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Bistort-in-situ-min-300x225.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Bistort-in-situ-min-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Bistort-in-situ-min-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Bistort-in-situ-min-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Bistort-in-situ-min-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Bistort-in-situ-min-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Bistort-in-situ-min-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Bistort-in-situ-min-900x675.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/2023\/01\/05\/bistort-identification\/bisort-young-shoots-min\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"224\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Bisort-young-shoots-min-224x300.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Bisort-young-shoots-min-224x300.jpg 224w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Bisort-young-shoots-min-766x1024.jpg 766w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Bisort-young-shoots-min-768x1027.jpg 768w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Bisort-young-shoots-min-1149x1536.jpg 1149w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Bisort-young-shoots-min-1532x2048.jpg 1532w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Bisort-young-shoots-min-112x150.jpg 112w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Bisort-young-shoots-min-900x1203.jpg 900w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Bisort-young-shoots-min-scaled.jpg 1915w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 224px) 100vw, 224px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/2023\/01\/05\/bistort-identification\/olympus-digital-camera-28\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"214\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Bistort-dired-flower-spike-in-late-summer-Krzysztof-Ziarnek-Kenraiz-CC-BY-SA-4.0--scaled-e1671105259376-214x300.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-62748\" srcset=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Bistort-dired-flower-spike-in-late-summer-Krzysztof-Ziarnek-Kenraiz-CC-BY-SA-4.0--scaled-e1671105259376-214x300.jpg 214w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Bistort-dired-flower-spike-in-late-summer-Krzysztof-Ziarnek-Kenraiz-CC-BY-SA-4.0--scaled-e1671105259376-107x150.jpg 107w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 214px) 100vw, 214px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-62748'>\n\t\t\t\tistort-dired-flower-spike-in-late-summer-Krzysztof-Ziarnek-Kenraiz-CC-BY-SA-4.0\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/2023\/01\/05\/bistort-identification\/bistort-shot-of-the-flower-min\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"191\" src=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Bistort-shot-of-the-flower-min-300x191.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Bistort-shot-of-the-flower-min-300x191.jpg 300w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Bistort-shot-of-the-flower-min-150x96.jpg 150w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Bistort-shot-of-the-flower-min.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bistort is a common, herbaceous perennial member of the dock family. It loves damp environments and was traditionally used to make pudding in Lent.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><b>Common Names<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bistort, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Snake-root, Snakeweed, Easter-ledges, Common bistort, European bistort,<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><b>Botanical Name<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bistorta officinalis<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><b>Scientific Classification<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><b>Kingdom<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 Plantae<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Order<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 Caryophyllales<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Family<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 Polygonaceae<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><b>Physical Characteristics for Bistort\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<h2><b>Leaves<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The leaves <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">are large, oval shaped, with heart-shaped bases. They are a bluish-green colour on the upper side and grey, tinged with purple, underneath. The leaf-stalks and blades are about 12-15 cm long. They look similar to Dock leaves but the upper part of the leafstalk is winged on Bistort. The pale central vein goes all the way to the end of the leaf<\/span><\/p>\n<div id='gallery-2' class='gallery galleryid-62742 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-thumbnail'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/2023\/01\/05\/bistort-identification\/bistort-leaf-in-hand-min\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Bistort-leaf-in-hand-min-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Bistort-leaf-in-hand-min-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Bistort-leaf-in-hand-min-450x450.jpg 450w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Bistort-leaf-in-hand-min-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Bistort-leaf-in-hand-min-50x50.jpg 50w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/2023\/01\/05\/bistort-identification\/bistort-in-situ-min\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Bistort-in-situ-min-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Bistort-in-situ-min-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Bistort-in-situ-min-450x450.jpg 450w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Bistort-in-situ-min-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Bistort-in-situ-min-50x50.jpg 50w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/2023\/01\/05\/bistort-identification\/bisort-young-shoots-min\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Bisort-young-shoots-min-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Bisort-young-shoots-min-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Bisort-young-shoots-min-450x450.jpg 450w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Bisort-young-shoots-min-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Bisort-young-shoots-min-50x50.jpg 50w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<hr \/>\n<h2><b>Flowers<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The flower spike can be up to 10 cm tall, the spikes look a little like bottle brushes and contain up to 150 individual flowers. The tiny flowers themselves are bell-shaped, pink, have 5 petals and 8 stamen.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-118719\" src=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Bistort-shot-of-the-flower-min-300x191.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"191\" srcset=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Bistort-shot-of-the-flower-min-300x191.jpg 300w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Bistort-shot-of-the-flower-min-150x96.jpg 150w, https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Bistort-shot-of-the-flower-min.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><b>Roots<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The roots are thick and twisted and produce numerous tubers, this is probably where the snake root name came from.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><b>Habitat<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s quite a common plant in the UK and is normally found in damp environments such as wetlands, edges of ponds and swamps and damp woodlands.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><b>Known Hazards<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">None known.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><b>Could be Confused with<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s quite a distinctive plant, there\u2019s not too much that you could confuse it with really. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When in flower the only thing that would look similar is <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Amphibious bistort (persicaria amphibia) and this edible. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Without the flowers it does look like <a href=\"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/2022\/03\/22\/docks-rumex-species-foraging-guide\/\">Dock<\/a>, which is also edible, however Dock lacks the \u2018wings\u2019 on the leaf stalks.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><b>Edible Uses<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">All parts of the plant are edible, cooked or raw.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It was traditionally used in Northern England to make Dock or Ledge pudding.\u00a0 The leaves were mixed together with oatmeal, Nettles, onion, and seasoning to taste, formed into patties and fried with bacon. It was traditionally served in Lent or at Easter time.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The roots were traditionally eaten in Russia and other parts of Eastern Europe as a starchy alternative to potatoes.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><b>Notes on Herbal Uses<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bistort root is one of the strongest astringent medicines in the vegetable kingdom and can be used to treat external or internal wounds.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It can also be used to treat diarrhoea, dysentery, and all bowel complaints.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is also supposedly great for treating haemorrhoids.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><b>Extra notes from the Foragers<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Each year in the Yorkshire town of Mytholmroyd, the World Dock Pudding Championships are held. Competitors have to enter a full cooked breakfast featuring Dock pudding.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The name Bistort comes again from its roots, bis meaning twice and tort meaning twisted.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><b>References:<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wildlifetrusts.org\/wildlife-explorer\/wildflowers\/common-bistort\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">More from the wildlife trust<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitcalderdale.com\/event\/the-world-dock-pudding-championships\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">more from Calderdale on this species and the world dock championships<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Bistort \/ Spring \/ Summer \/ Autumn \/ Edible Bistort is a common, herbaceous perennial member of the dock family. It loves damp environments and was traditionally used to make pudding in Lent.\u00a0 Common Names Bistort, Snake-root, Snakeweed, Easter-ledges, Common bistort, European bistort, Botanical Name Bistorta officinalis Scientific Classification Kingdom&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":118715,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[86,101],"tags":[239,1553,1552,1557,1556,1558,1115,1336,1554,1555,104,238,1116,923],"class_list":["post-62742","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-plants","category-plant-identification","tag-autumn","tag-bistort","tag-bistorta-officinalis","tag-common-bistort","tag-easter-ledges","tag-european-bistort","tag-hedgerow","tag-polygonaceae","tag-snake-root","tag-snakeweed","tag-spring","tag-summer","tag-wetland","tag-woodland"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62742","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=62742"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62742\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":124014,"href":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62742\/revisions\/124014"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/118715"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=62742"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=62742"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/totallywilduk.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=62742"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}