Edible plant - novice Season - spring to autumn Common names Sheep's sorrel, sheep sorrel, field sorrel, lamb sorrel, sour weed, red sorrel, common sheep sorrel
Scientific name meaning: Rumex is derived from the New Latin word Rumicis, which is an ancient word for the dock and sorrel family. Acetosella means vinegar salts
Habitat  Found on acid grassland, heathland and dunes. It is native to British Isles and can be found throughout Europe. |
Overall structure  The basal leaves form a low-growing rosette. In early summer, a tall, sparsely-leave flower stalk emerges. |
Leaves  Each leaf emerging from the basal rosette has a long stalk (petiole) terminating in a single leaf. The hastate-shaped leaf (like a halbeard) can be up 5cm long - depending on growing conditions. The leaf blade has two long pointed tails (lobes) on either side of the leaf stalk. |
Stem The flower stem appears from early summer and can reach 30cm tall. Like other docks and sorrels, sheep's sorrel's stem often has red markings on it. |
Flowers  In early summer, flower spikes will appear. The small, spherical flowers are tinted red. |
Seeds The seeds appear in mid- to late-summer and are tinged red. |
Possible lookalikes  Field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis), pictured, grows in the same habitat and with a similar leaf-shape to sheep's sorrel. However, field bindweed has a trailing, rambling growth habit and has numerous leaves along a single plant stem as opposed to sheep's sorrel's single leaf. |
Use as a food Sheep's sorrel has a very sharp citrus taste due to its oxalic acid content (see hazards). Its leaves and flowers are used raw in salads or can be used to replace lemon or lime in dishes requiring an acidic zing.
The root can be made into noodles by first drying and grinding into a powder. This powder can also be combined with bread making flours. The juice of sheep's sorrel can also curdle milk Use in herbal medicine and medicine Sheep's sorrel has been used to treat digestive problems, water retention, fever, bloat, inflammation, urinary tract complaints, tumours, heavy menstruation and even cancer
If you are suffering from any ailment or need medical advice, please see your General Practitioner.
Hazards High levels of oxalic acid is what gives sheep's sorrel its distinctive acid taste. However, this acid should not be eaten in large amounts. For healthy people, it is fine in moderation. Oxalic acid binds to other nutrients, particularly calcium, making them unavailable for the body to use and causing a deficiency.
Oxalic acid in quantity will also aggravate rheumatism, kidney stones, gout and arthritis. It has anticoagulant effects so those suffering from a blood thinning disorder or taking blood thinners, should avoid common sorrel. Hyperacidity is another condition which would be affected by consumption of increased amounts of oxalic acid.
Other uses Dyes can be made from various parts of the plant. The roots produce greens, greys and browns, while the leaves and stems produce a blue-grey Importance to other species The leaves of sheep's sorrel are eaten by various butterfly and moths species' larva
Always stay safe when foraging. You need to be 100% sure of your identification, 100% sure that your foraged item is edible, and 100% sure that you are not allergic to it (it is good practice to always try a small amount of any new food you are consuming). If in doubt, leave it out!
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