Bloomipedia
Mile-a-minute weed (Persicaria perfoliata)
Photo: jonsense via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Mile-a-minute weed

Persicaria perfoliata

Introduced in the lower 48

Mile-a-minute weed is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as introduced in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 5 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in June–October.

13states
5of our state lists
13,401U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia

🚫
Regulated invasive plant in Pennsylvania, Virginia and Delaware. It's on those states' official invasive plant lists (Pennsylvania: Class B noxious weed; Virginia: Tier 3 noxious weed (sale and movement restricted); Delaware: Invasive Plant List (sale and propagation prohibited)). Please don't plant or share it there. PA noxious weed list 2VAC5-317-20 3 DE Admin. Code 806

Quick look

Persicaria perfoliata is a species of flowering plant in the buckwheat family. Common names include mile-a-minute, devil's tail, giant climbing tearthumb, and Asiatic tearthumb. It is a trailing herbaceous annual vine with barbed stems and triangular leaves.

  • It belongs to the Polygonaceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) / a vine with a annual life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as introduced in the lower 48 states and records it in 13 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as not native to Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, Virginia and Delaware. NatureServe
  • iNaturalist has 3,319 research-grade sightings of it in Pennsylvania, ranking #57 among the 111 flowers on our Pennsylvania list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 2,832 research-grade sightings of it in Maryland, ranking #42 among the 110 flowers on our Maryland list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 1,991 research-grade sightings of it in New Jersey, ranking #47 among the 110 flowers on our New Jersey list. iNaturalist

State flower gift ideas

This one is a regulated invasive plant, so here are state flower gifts instead.

🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.

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    State flower print

    Gift pick coming soon

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    Birth-flower necklace

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    Wildflower seed favors

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    Botanical tea towel

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    Pressed-flower frame

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    Flower-garden mug

    Gift pick coming soon

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (24 records)
Bloom time in each of our 5 states
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
PennsylvaniaIntroducedfew records3,319
MarylandIntroducedfew records2,832
New JerseyIntroducedfew records1,991
VirginiaIntroducedfew records1,716
DelawareIntroducedfew records284

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)
Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
NatureServe global
GNR Not yet ranked worldwide. NatureServe
Pennsylvania
Not listed Not on Pennsylvania classified native plants (17 Pa. Code Ch. 45, Subchapter B, as amended 2023). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Pennsylvania. 17 Pa. Code Ch. 45
Maryland
Not listed Not on Maryland threatened and endangered plants (COMAR 08.03.08.05, .06 and .08). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Maryland. COMAR 08.03.08
New Jersey
Not listed Not on New Jersey Endangered Plant Species List (N.J.A.C. 7:5C-5.1). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in New Jersey. N.J.A.C. 7:5C-5.1
Virginia
Not listed Not on Virginia endangered and threatened plant and insect species (2VAC5-320-10). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Virginia. 2VAC5-320-10
Delaware
Not listed Not on Rare and Uncommon Plants of Delaware (DNREC, 2024; informational, Delaware has no state plant-protection list). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Delaware. DE rare plants 2024
Rare elsewhere
No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no edibility or poison notes on its page), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. NC State Extension

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records mile-a-minute weed in 13 states plus Washington, D.C.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Connecticut, Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia; District of Columbia.

Pennsylvania counties with USDA records: Bucks, Butler, Chester, Dauphin, Delaware, Lancaster, Monroe, Pike, York.

New Jersey counties with USDA records: Bergen, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Passaic, Union, Warren.

More Pennsylvania flowers

American jumpseed (Persicaria virginiana)

American jumpseed

Persicaria virginiana

Native

🌼 Blooms in PA: July–September
Low smartweed (Persicaria longiseta)

Low smartweed

Persicaria longiseta

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in PA: June–October
Japanese knotweed (Reynoutria japonica)

Japanese knotweed

Reynoutria japonica

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in PA: August–September

Sources