FNPS Plant Database

Polygonum polygamum

jointweed, October flower
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS

Nomenclature

Common Name:

jointweed, October flower

Synonym(s):

Polygonella polygama

Genus species:

Polygonum polygamum

Family:

Polygonaceae

Plant Specifics

Form:

flower

Size:

1-5 ft tall by wide-spreading ft wide

Life Span:

Long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

white,pink

Fruit Color:

white, red, brown

Phenology:

Winter deciduous. Blooms late summer to mid fall.

Noted For:

Showy Flowers, Showy Fruits

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Dry, sunny wildflower garden.

Considerations:

Availability:

Native Nurseries, Seed

Propagation:

Seed. Rarely used in landscapes.

Light:

Full Sun, Part Sun

Moisture Tolerance:

Always Flooded---------------------------------Extremely Dry

□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□■■■■■■■■■□□□

Short very dry periods -to- Very long very dry periods

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray

Soil or Other Substrate:

Sand

Soil pH:

Acidic

Suitable to Grow In:

8A,8B,9A,9B,10A

USDA zones are based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature.

Don't know your zone? Click here to search by zip code.

Vouchered In:

Distribution
Vouchered
Not vouchered
Selected
Click a county The county name will appear here.
No county distribution is available for this plant yet.
Starting…
Map coded by Melissa Fernandez-de Cespedes (Paynes Prairie Chapter)

Ecology

Wildlife:

Pollinators

Attracts bees  ( CoastalPlainsPlants ).  Documented species include  Colletes inandibularis, Augochlorella aurata, Augochloropsis anonytna, A. metallica, Dialictus nyinphalis, D. placidensis, Halictus ligatus and  Sphecodes heraclei (Deyrup et al. 2002). 

Native Habitats:

Scrub, sandhill, scrubby flatwoods, open disturbed areas.

Natural Range in Florida:

Comments:

Ethnobotany:

General Comments:

There are two varies in Florida:  Polygonum polygamum var. polygamum and  Polygonum polygamum  var. brachystachyum 
FNPS Plant Print

Citations:

Huegel, Craig N. (2012). Native Wildflowers and Other Ground Covers for Florida Landscapes. University Press of Florida, Gainesville.


North Carolina Native Plant Society. (Undated). Native Plant Gallery: Polygonella polygama. ( https://plants.ncwildflower.org/plant_galleries/details/polygonella-polygama-polygonum-polygama-polygamum ). Accessed 2026. North Carolina Native Plant Society, Greensboro, NC.


Osorio, Rufino. (2001). A Gardener's Guide to Florida's Native Plants. University Press of Florida, Gainesville.


Wunderlin, R. P., B. F. Hansen, A. R. Franck, and F. B. Essig. (1999+). Atlas of Florida Plants. ( https://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/ ). [S. M. Landry and K. N. Campbell (application development), USF Water Institute.] Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa.

Request an update