Sheep’s sorrel

How to recognise it

Growth habit

Perennial, 10–40 cm tall, with thin, upright stems and a network of creeping roots from which new shoots keep appearing.

Leaf

Narrow, 2–6 cm long and spear-shaped: at the base two narrow lobes pointing sideways or slightly forwards; sometimes linear without lobes. Sour-tasting and often flushed red.

Flower

Dioecious: there are separate male and female plants. Tiny green to red flowers in loose, narrow sprays, from May to August; the male ones more yellowish, the female ones redder.

Fruit/Seed

Small, shiny brown, three-sided nutlets of 1–1.5 mm, enclosed by the perianth segments.

Roots

Shallow, creeping roots with buds, from which new plants grow.

Confusion with

Common sorrel is much larger, with arrow-shaped leaves whose lobes point downwards, and grows in moister, richer grassland. Broad-leaved dock and curled dock are large plants with big, broad leaves. Sheep’s sorrel: small, with narrow leaves and outward-pointing lobes.

Flowering: May–August · Pruning: September

Why grow it?

• A food plant for the caterpillars of the small copper, one of our prettiest small butterflies.
• Seed-eating birds such as finches, sparrows and linnets eat its seeds.
• It is wind-pollinated and of hardly any interest to bees: its value lies in its leaves and seeds.
• An indicator of acid, nutrient-poor sandy soil: where it thrives, the soil is poor and acid.
• The young leaves taste fresh and sour and, like common sorrel, were once used to flavour salads and sauces.
• In summer it gives a red glow to sandy grassland and heath edges.

Sheep’s sorrel: where does it grow best?

• In the wild on heathland, in dunes, thin grassland, sandy verges, fallow fields and on sandy paths.
• Full sun.
• Dry, acid, nutrient-poor sandy soil. It avoids chalky soil and is crowded out by grass on rich soil.
• In the garden, in a heather garden, a thin meadow on sand, a dry edge or a sandy bank.

Goes well with

• Heather: Grows on the same acid sand and flowers later, in August–September.
• Sheep’s-bit: Sky-blue pompoms among the red sprays.
• Mouse-ear hawkweed: Lemon-yellow heads on the same dry, poor soil.
• Grey hair-grass: A grey-green tufted grass of drifting sand; together a true Campine landscape.

Sheep’s sorrel: when and how to plant it?

1. It usually turns up by itself on acid sandy soil. If you want to give it a place deliberately, buy seed or plants of native origin from a nursery that specialises in native plants.
2. Sow in March–April or September on poor, loosened sandy soil. Press the seed in and barely cover it.
3. Plant 20–30 cm apart; with its creeping roots it fills the space by itself.
4. Water after sowing or planting until it has established; after that, watering is not needed.
5. Do not put it in the vegetable plot or a border on sandy soil, but in a clearly bounded heath or meadow corner: it spreads by root suckers.
6. Never dig up plants from the wild, not even on heathland.

Care

Watering

Not needed, except while it establishes.

Feeding

Avoid: on rich soil it disappears under the grass.

Harvesting

From April to June, pick a few young leaves, in moderation, for a salad or as a fresh, sour flavouring. Rinse them well.

Mowing

In thin grassland, mow once a year in September and remove the cuttings.

Spreading

In the vegetable plot or a border on sand it can be a nuisance, because every bit of root left behind grows again. Dig it out with a fork, remove all the roots and repeat regularly.

Soil

If you want less sheep’s sorrel in your lawn, improve the soil with compost: on less acid, richer soil the grass takes over.

Tip: Got dry, sandy soil? Leave sheep’s sorrel in a sunny corner instead of weeding it: there is a good chance the small copper will come to visit in summer.

Pruning and mowing

Pruning months: September.

When: In September, mow the thin meadow or heath edge. If you want fewer seedlings, cut off the flower stalks in summer before the seed ripens.

How:

• Mow and remove the cuttings so that the soil stays poor.
• If you want it to self-seed less, cut off the flower stalks before the seed is ripe.
• Leave some standing in a corner: small copper caterpillars live on the leaves and birds eat the seed.
• In the vegetable plot, weed it out rather than mowing it: mowing leaves the roots untouched.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Root suckers

It spreads mainly by its creeping roots. In spring, dig up a piece with roots and replant it elsewhere.

Seed

Sow in spring or September. The seed stays viable in the soil for a long time.

Sheep’s sorrel: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −30 °C.

• Sheep’s sorrel overwinters as small leaf rosettes, which often turn red in the cold.
• Fully hardy, to about −30 °C.
• Dry, red flower stalks sometimes stay standing into winter and still offer some seed to birds.

Diseases and pests

• Spreading in the vegetable plot: The creeping roots keep sprouting again. Dig them out with a fork, mulch the beds and improve the soil with compost.
• In the lawn: A sign of acid, poor sandy soil. Work in compost and, if the soil is very acid, a little lime: the grass will then gain the upper hand.
• Leaf spots: Small red or brown spots on the leaves are usually harmless and common in dry summers.
• Eating too much: The leaves contain oxalic acid. Eat them only in moderation and make sure grazing animals do not eat large amounts.

Through the year

• March: New rosettes start growing. Dig out where it is not wanted.
• April: Pick young leaves. Sow on sandy soil.
• May: Flowering begins. Pick leaves.
• June: Full flower, with a red glow. The small copper lays its eggs.
• July: Seed ripens. Cut off flower stalks if you want fewer seedlings.
• August: Last flowers. Small copper caterpillars on the leaves.
• September: Mow and remove the cuttings. Sow or plant.
• October: Dig out in the vegetable plot.
• December: Rosettes overwinter.

Did you know?

• The sour taste comes from oxalic acid; the word sorrel goes back to an old Germanic word for ‘sour’.
• Sheep’s sorrel is dioecious: male and female flowers grow on separate plants. The female plants turn the deepest red in summer.
• From Europe it has travelled with people to North America, Australia and New Zealand, among other places, where it has become a troublesome weed of acid soils.