Russian dock is a perennial, 60–150 cm tall plant forming big tillers and with thick, branched rhizomes. One plant can produce up to 4000 seeds, which retain germination for several years. Russian dock is an alien species with a natural range in south-eastern Europe and western Asia. In Central and Northern Europe, Russian dock began to spread at the end of the 19^th century, but most rapidly since the beginning of the 20^th century. The species was first registered in Latvia in 1920. It is considered that the species entered Latvia by accident. Outside the original range Russian dock was introduced with grains, grass seed material from Russia, and also imported accidentally during the development of freight transport. Nowadays this species inhabits natural or semi-natural meadows, where they suppress local, especially lowland meadow plants. This species reduces the economic value of meadows because they are not eaten by domestic animals. The species is able to adapt to relatively diverse ecological conditions – it can be found both in conditions similar to the natural area in moderately moist grasslands, as well as in ruderal habitats, roadsides and on heavily altered sites on the railway edges.