Flora of the Cofrin Arboretum

Made by Introduction to Technical & Professional Writing Students

Spotted Lady’s Thumb Factsheet

Spotted Lady’s Thumb

Persicaria

Redshank, Jesus pant, Smartweed, Devil’s Pinches, Virgin Mary’s Pinch, Herbe Traitesse, lavender in Somerset, lover’s pride in Sussex, Yellowin girse, and saucy alice in Norfolk, and etc. (~40 total different names)

Description

Redshank is an annual herb up to one meter (around three feet) tall. With light green, thin and round stems with swollen joints that support long clusters of pink to purple flowers. The flowers have four to five petals that fuse together where the flower meets stem. The flowers don’t have any obvious scent to them. The stems hang like the flowers they are topped with are almost too heavy to support. The long and thin leaves often have a darker ovular spot in the middle and grow alternately from the stem. Both the stem and the leaves have short hair like fringe growing on them. They produce shiny black seeds, that have three edges on its wide teardrop like shape.

Cultural

The Spotted Lady’s Thumb can be found in European lore, with this lore it is given a name. Not all the lore can be approved for all viewers, please procced with caution. ‘Virgin Mary’s Pinch’ comes from the lore that states that when she needed the plant for an ointment it was unfindable. After Mary did not need it anymore, she found the plant, and in her frustration pinched the leaves, leaving the markings on the leaves and claiming it a weed. ‘Herbe Traitesse’ is derived from a story that when a woman committed the murder of her husband, she wiped her bloody fingers on the plant. The bloody fingerprints lead to the detection of her crime and a supposed stain on the plant. Said to have grown at the base of the cross Jesus was crucified on gave it two names ‘the blood spot’ and ‘herb of the tree of crucifixion’. Some names are hard to explain while there are a few that do not need to be explained.

Uses

Spotted Lady’s thumb was used in folk medicine to supposedly prevent gastric cancer and by Native Americans for skin, digestive, and urinary aids, and insect repellant for their horses. Along with the Eurasian tribes the Native Americans would use the poultice of the plant to alleviate poison Ivy and burns. has several medicinal properties, including topical and internal anti-inflammatory, astringent, cholagogue, diuretic, hemostatic, and anthelmintic. It is strongly suggested that one consults a medical professional before using the plant, as it can give undesirable results if mixed with other medicine. It was used in folk, Ukrainian and Native American medicine for people and animals. In folk medicine it made into a tea and poultice. Native Americans used the plants as a cure for stomach aches, urinary complaints, and poison ivy and for pain relief. For their horses they would rub it onto their skin to deter insects, or as feed. It is used for hemorrhoids and uterine bleeding The plant can be used against digestive issues, hemorrhoids, common colds, headaches, venereal diseases, gout, asthma, fever, inflammation, and gynecological disorders. Along with its medical uses it can be used to make yellow dye with alum as its mordant. The leaves can be eaten raw as a lettuce substitute or eaten in a sauteed dish, along with being used for tea. One could eat the seeds raw or cooked in their method of choice.

Growing Conditions

Soil Conditions: Spotted Lady’s Thumb requires damp, acidic loams in disturbed areas to grow. Areas such as well watered gardens, wetlands, meadows, stream banks, and roadsides. The plant grows in moist soils, acidic peaty loams, and rich soils. It will avoid soils with high lime content, to the point that liming is method of prevention.
Climate: Spotted Lady’s Thumb is native to Europe, Asia, and northern Africa, and introduced to the Americas and a few other places around the world. This flower grows in cool to warm climates.
Growth: Spotted Lady’s Thumb is a plant that grows from spring to fall and flowers between late spring and early fall. The plant is propagated only from seeds and can remain in soil for up to 45 years. The seeds spread with the wind and wastes of animals. Lady’s thumb can adapt to poor light and soil conditions

Potential Problems & Concerns

Concerns: Spotted Lady’s thumb has oxalic acid which could cause health problems if eaten in large quantities. It also has the potential to have a bad reaction if taken with other medicine.
Problems: Spotted Lady’s thumb is an invasive plant that will compete with natural flora, grows, and spreads quickly. This plant is resistant to herbicides making removal of unwanted growth done with seeding prevention. Such as mowing constant mowing and removal before seeds develop. Even with it being and invasive plant and its ability to grow from 45-year-old seed, the plant is near threatened.

Printable Factsheet:

TechnicalFactSheet Spotted Lady’s Thumb

Prepared By:

Emma M. Norbotten
Created in collaboration with the UWGB Office of Sustainability, Fall 2022. For any questions, concerns, or corrections, please contact Kristopher Purzycki (English & Humanities) at purzyckk@uwgb.edu.

References

Information is derived from the following sources.

  1. Persicaria maculosa Gray [web log post.] Retrieved 01 Dec 2022 from: https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:695052-1#other-data
  2. Persicaria maculosa [web log post.] Retrieved 01 Dec 2022 from: http://mediplantepirus.med.uoi.gr/pharmacology_en/plant_details.php?id=312
  3. Redshank, red joints and lady’s thumb [web log post.] Retrieved 01 Dec 2022 from: https://www.plant-lore.com/plantofthemonth/redshank-red-joints-and-ladys-thumb/
  4. “Bug Woman” (01 July 2015) Wednesday Weed – Redshank [web log post.] Retrieved 01 Dec 2022 from: https://bugwomanlondon.com/2015/07/01/wednesday-weed-redshank/
  5. Persicaria maculosa [web log post.] Retrieved 01 Dec 2022 from:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persicaria_maculosa
  6. Redshank [web log post.] Retrieved 01 Dec 2022 from: https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/175559/1423029
  7. Red shank [web log post.] Retrieved 01 Dec 2022 from: https://luontoportti.com/en/t/2375/redshank
  8. Tara Dodrill (29 June 2021) Lady’s Thumb Weed: Edibility, Safety, and More [web log post.] Retrieved 01 Dec 2022 from: https://www.newlifeonahomestead.com/ladys-thumb-weed/
  9. (May 2021) Ladys-Thumb-Factsheet-2021.pdf [Online PDf.] Retrieved 01 Dec 2022 from: https://ssisc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Ladys-Thumb-Factsheet-2021.pdf
  10. Tom Harkins (02 February 2022) Lady’s Thumb: Foraging, Safety and Uses [web log post.] Retrieved 01 Dec 2022 from: https://thehomesteadinghippy.com/ladys-thumb/
  11. Lady’s Thumb [web log post.] Retrieved 01 Dec 2022 from: https://www.ediblewildfood.com/ladys-thumb.aspx
  12. (November 2007) Redshank [web log post.] Retrieved 01 Dec 2022 from: https://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/weeds/redshank
  13. Redshank [web log post.] Retrieved 01 Dec 2022 from: https://www.inaturalist.org/guide_taxa/330108
  14. Persicaria maculosa (Lady’s-thumb) [web log post.] Retrieved 01 Dec 2022 from: https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/ladys-thumb
  15. Red Shank(Lady’s Thumb) [web log post.] Retrieved 01 Dec 2022 from: https://www.inaturalist.org/guide_taxa/355760