Found throughout the United States. Unbranched, thick, without hairs, ridged, often reddish. Stems below the cotyledons may be tinted maroon at the base. Lower rosette leaves petioled, without hairs, alternate, dark green with wavy margins. Stem leaves are alternate, have an ocrea and progressively become smaller up the flowering stalk.
Leaves become more reddish-purple with age.
In clusters on the upper portion of the elongating stem, consisting of greenish sepals that become reddish-brown with age. Leaves with markedly wavy-margins. However, the much wider and less wavy leaves of broadleaf dock help to distinguish the two.