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Polygonum Cuspidatum flowers are valued by some beekeepers as an important source of nectar for honeybees, at a time of year when little else is flowering. Polygonum Cuspidatum yields a monofloral honey, usually called bamboo honey by northeastern U.S. beekeepers, like a mild-flavored version of Buckwheat honey (a related plant also in the Polygonaceae).
The young stems are edible as a spring vegetable, with a flavor similar to extremely sour rhubarb. In some locations, semi-cultivating Polygonum Cuspidatum for food has been used as a means of controlling knotweed populations that invade sensitive wetland areas and drive out the native vegetation.
Some caution should be exercised when consuming this plant because it, similar to rhubarb, contains oxalic acid, which may aggravate conditions such as rheumatism, arthritis, gout, kidney stones or hyperacidity.