Garden sorrel

Sun

Full sun in cool climates; partial shade where summers are hot.

Water

Keep the root zone evenly moist but not waterlogged. Water during dry spells to encourage tender leaves.

Soil

Moist, well-drained soil enriched with compost; tolerates clay if drainage is adequate. Slightly acidic to neutral soil is ideal.

Height

1-2 ft (0.3-0.6 m) in leaf; flowering stems to 3 ft (0.9 m)

Spread

1-2 ft (0.3-0.6 m)

Flowers

Late spring to summer; small greenish flowers becoming reddish-brown on tall, branched stems.

Foliage

Soft green, elongated, arrow-shaped leaves with backward-pointing lobes at the base. Usually dies back in cold winters but may retain leaves in mild areas.

Growth

Fast during cool, moist weather

Care needed

Low

• Cold hardy
• Wildlife
• Edible

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Easy

Toughness

Very tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   1 ft (0.3 m)

2. After 1 year

   1.2 ft (0.38 m)

3. After 2 years

   1.5 ft (0.45 m)

   full size

About 2 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Toxic

Native to

the US, Canada and the UK

Growth rate

Fast

• Water during dry spells, especially after harvesting.
• Apply a thin layer of compost around the clump in spring.
• Mulch to conserve moisture, keeping mulch clear of the crown.
• Remove flower stalks promptly to favour leaf production and limit self-seeding.
• Divide crowded clumps every three or four years to maintain vigorous growth.

Pruning. Cut flower stalks off at the base as they appear. Remove dead foliage in late winter; if summer leaves become coarse, cut them back and water to encourage fresh growth.

Pick young, tender outer leaves once the plant is established and has plenty of foliage, usually from spring into autumn. Cut or pinch individual leaves near their bases, leaving the central growing point and enough leaves for recovery; smaller leaves are milder and less fibrous.

Late winter

Remove dead foliage before fresh growth expands.

Spring

Sow seed, plant young plants or divide established clumps.

Spring

Top-dress with compost and begin picking young outer leaves.

Late spring

Cut off developing flower stems unless you want to save seed.

Summer

Water during dry weather and remove coarse leaves to encourage tender regrowth.

Autumn

Divide congested clumps while the soil is still workable and keep new divisions watered.

• Plant in a permanent section of the vegetable garden for an early spring leaf crop.
• Use small groups beside chives and parsley in an informal herb bed.
• Repeat clumps along a potager path for a low, leafy edge that can be harvested.
• Grow in a deep container near the kitchen, with afternoon shade in hot locations.

Garden styles it suits: Potager (kitchen garden), Cottage garden, Edible landscape, Homestead, Herb parterre and Small-space.

Plant it with: Chives, Parsley, Lettuce, Spinach, Strawberries and Calendula.

Wildlife: Leaves feed some moth and butterfly larvae, including small copper caterpillars in Britain. Flowers are wind-pollinated and provide little nectar for pollinators.

• Slugs and snails chew young leaves: remove hiding places, hand-pick at dusk and use an approved iron-phosphate bait if needed.
• Aphids cluster on tender shoots and flower stalks: wash them off with water and remove heavily infested stalks.
• Leaf-mining insects leave pale tunnels or blotches: remove affected leaves and clear old foliage.
• Heat and drought cause tough leaves and early flowering: provide afternoon shade, water consistently and cut off flower stems.

All parts contain soluble oxalates, with the leaves being the usual source of exposure. Small culinary portions are generally safe for most people, but large quantities can be harmful; people with kidney disease or a history of calcium-oxalate stones should seek medical advice before eating it. Toxic to cats, dogs and horses if enough is eaten, with potentially serious effects on calcium balance and kidney function.

Where it spreads. Can self-seed beyond the bed and is naturalised in parts of North America and southern Australia. It is not generally an aggressive runner like sheep sorrel, but remove flower stalks before seed ripens where escape into nearby grassland is a concern.

• Sheep sorrel (Rumex acetosella)

  Usually much smaller, with narrow leaves whose basal lobes point outward. It spreads through creeping underground stems and often forms patches in poor, acidic ground.

• French sorrel (Rumex scutatus)

  Has smaller, broader, shield-shaped leaves, often blue-green, and a lower, more spreading habit.

• Lords-and-ladies (Arum maculatum)

  This poisonous plant has thicker, often glossy or dark-spotted arrow-shaped leaves and a hooded flower surrounding a central spike, followed by a cluster of berries. Do not identify edible sorrel by leaf outline alone.

The epithet acetosa refers to the leaves' sour, vinegar-like taste, while sorrel comes through Old French from a word meaning sour.

Propagation. Sow seed in spring, lightly covering it and keeping the seedbed moist. Divide established clumps in spring or early autumn, giving each division roots and several growing points.

Accepted botanical name

Rumex acetosa

In the US and Canada

Native in Alaska, Alaska, Canada, Greenland and the lower 48 states. Introduced in Alaska, Canada, Greenland, the lower 48 states and St. Pierre and Miquelon.

Native range

Afghanistan, Albania, Altay, Amur, Austria, Baleares, Baltic States, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Buryatiya and Central European Rus.

Measured

Soil pH 5.5 to 6.5. Average height 17 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.