Turkey rhubarb (Rumex sagittatus)

Also known as: rambling dock

Turkey rhubarb is a climbing or creeping plant with arrow-shaped leaves and small nuts with papery wings. It smothers and outcompetes native plants.

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How does this weed affect you?

Turkey rhubarb forms dense infestations that:

• outcompete native plants
• smother low-growing plants and small shrubs.

What does it look like?

Turkey rhubarb is a perennial climber or creeper. The stems die back in winter in colder areas, and under drought conditions. New shoots grow from the roots in warmer weather.

Leaves are:

• bright green
• 2–10 cm long and 1–7 cm wide
• arrow-shaped
• soft, slightly fleshy and hairless
• on stalks as long or longer than the leaf
• alternate along the stem.

Flowers are:

• green to whitish or purplish
• small with petals about 1 mm long
• in large, multi-branched clusters 
• present from late spring to autumn.

Fruit are:

• small nuts 6–11 mm long that contain one seed
• surrounded by three papery wings up to 1 cm wide
• green at first, straw-coloured when mature, occasionally tinged pink or purplish 
• on thread-like stalks.

Seeds are:

• light brown
• about 3 mm long and 1.7 mm wide
• shiny.

Stems are:

• green or reddish green
• up to 3 m long
• ribbed and hairless
• fleshy or slightly succulent when young and woody when older.

Roots are:

• extensive with thin rhizomes up to 5 m long
• tuberous, with brown tubers (yellow on the inside) up to 10 cm long
• woody on older plants.

Similar looking plants

Turkey rhubarb has similar looking fruit and leaves to rosy dock (Rumex vesicarius). Rosy dock has larger fruit (2.3 cm long) and is an annual upright plant that does not produce underground tubers.

Scientific name change

Turkey rhubarb was previously named Acetosa sagittata.

Where is it found?

Turkey rhubarb grows in the Northern Tablelands and all coastal regions of NSW.

It is native to southern Africa.

What type of environment does it grow in?

Turkey rhubarb grows in temperate and subtropical climates. Plants grow best in moist sites and full sun but can grow in shade. They tolerate a wide range of soil types including rocky and sandy soils. Turkey rhubarb has been found growing in:

• disturbed areas especially near urban areas (roadsides, trails and railway lines)
• gardens, and over fences, hedges, rock walls
• urban bushland and along waterways
• moist gullies, open woodlands and closed forests
• coastal habitats including sand dunes.

It survives fire by reshooting from the underground tubers.

How does it spread?

Turkey rhubarb has been grown as an ornamental plant and is spread by gardeners.

By seed

Young plants can produce fruit and viable seeds within one year. Each plant can produce thousands of seeds per year and the seeds can remain dormant in the soil for at least 2 years. The seeds are spread by:

• wind
• water
• mowing or slashing
• people dumping garden waste.

By plant parts

Turkey rhubarb reproduces from tubers and rhizomes, which are spread by water, in contaminated soil and by people dumping garden waste

References

(The) Australian Virtual Herbarium (2024). Occurrence records for Rumex sagittatus. Retrieved 19 September 2024 from: https://avh.ala.org.au/occurrences/search?q=taxa%3A%22Rumex+sagittatus%22#tab_mapView

Identic Pty Ltd. & Lucid (2016). Weeds of Australia, Biosecurity Queensland edition Fact sheet: Acetosa sagittata Retrieved 19 September 2024 from: https://keyserver.lucidcentral.org/weeds/data/media/Html/acetosa_sagittata.htm

Muyt, A. (2001). Bush invaders of South-East Australia: a guide to the identification and control of environmental weeds found in South-East Australia. RG and FJ Richardson.

PlantNET (The NSW Plant Information Network System). Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust, Sydney. Retrieved 26 April 2021 from: https://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Rumex~sagittatus

More information

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Control

Successful weed control relies on follow up after the initial efforts. This means looking for and controlling regrowth or new seedlings.

Physical removal

By hand

Move the leaf litter away from the base of the plant and dig down until you reach the tuber. Remove the tubers and rhizomes. Bag and dispose of the plant including flowerheads and fruit.

Chemical control

Spraying

Apply the herbicide mix to actively growing plants. Ensure that the herbicide covers all the foliage.

Scrape and paint

Cut the stems about 40 cm from the ground. Lightly scrape the stem and paint the exposed area with concentrated herbicide within 15 seconds.

Herbicide options

See Using herbicides for more information.

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PERMIT 9907 Expires 31/03/2030
Glyphosate 360 g/L (Various products)
Rate: 200 mL in 10 L of water
Comments: Spot spray application
Withholding period: Nil.
Herbicide group: 9 (previously group M), Inhibition of 5-enolpyruvyl shikimate-3 phosphate synthase (EPSP inhibition)
Resistance risk: Moderate

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PERMIT 9907 Expires 31/03/2030
Glyphosate 360 g/L (Various products)
Rate: 1 part per 1.5 parts of water
Comments: Scrape stem application
Withholding period: Nil.
Herbicide group: 9 (previously group M), Inhibition of 5-enolpyruvyl shikimate-3 phosphate synthase (EPSP inhibition)
Resistance risk: Moderate

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Biosecurity duty

The content provided here is for information purposes only and is taken from the NSW Biosecurity Act 2015 and its subordinate legislation, and the Regional Strategic Weed Management Plans (published by each Local Land Services region in NSW). It describes the state and regional priorities for weeds in New South Wales, Australia.

Area	Duty
All of NSW	General Biosecurity Duty All pest plants are regulated with a general biosecurity duty to prevent, eliminate or minimise any biosecurity risk they may pose. Any person who deals with any plant, who knows (or ought to know) of any biosecurity risk, has a duty to ensure the risk is prevented, eliminated or minimised, so far as is reasonably practicable.

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Reviewed 2024