Background and aimsRumex alpinus is a native plant in the mountains of Europe, whose distribution is affected by its utilization as a vegetable and medicinal herb. The distribution of micro and risk elements in its organs and the possibility for phytoremediation are not well-known. We aimed to examine the safety of consuming R. alpinus from the Krkonoše Mountains, Czech Republic, and Alps (Austria and Italy).MethodsWe determined the total and plant-available concentration of Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn, Al, As, Cr, Ni, Pb, and Cd in the soil and total concentration in the organs of R. alpinus using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry.ResultsThe uptake and distribution of elements by plants were characterized by bioaccumulation and translocation (TF) factors. The intensity of elements accumulation by R. alpinus is considerably different, depending on locality. R. alpinus has considerable tolerance to Zn, Cu, As, Cr, Ni, with easy accumulation strategy. High Al and Cd concentration in belowground biomass (rhizome) indicates a defensive mechanism for them. Although the aboveground biomass (emerging, senescent, mature leaves, petiole) has some degree of accumulation of risk elements, R. alpinus is potentially suitable for phytoremediation of moderately contaminated soils. The results revealed that R. alpinus excludes Al, with high TF for Mn, Zn, Cu, As, Ni, and Pb. Given the accumulation of As and Cr, we recommend caution in its usage.ConclusionDetailed elemental analysis of R. alpinus organs is recommended before its application as medicinal herb or food, especially in contaminated soils.