Don’t pick this flower unless you wear gloves.

Arrowleaf tearthumb (Polygonum sagittatum) is a sprawling annual vine in the Buckwheat family that grows in moist areas.  Individual plants are three to six feet long but you’d have to untangle them to prove it.  I don’t recommend doing that.

The stems are lined with tiny hooks that bend toward the root of the plant.  If you pull the plant with your bare hands … Owww!  It tears your thumb.

We found arrowleaf tearthumb at Jennings Prairie yesterday.  The flowers are quite small so it’s easy to overlook.  Here’s my thumb near the stem to give you some perspective.

Remember to wear gloves.

(photos by Kate St. John)