Bloody dock

Bloody dock: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Perennial rosette plant about 50 cm tall and 30 cm wide, with upright flower stems and a taproot.

Leaves

Long oval to lance-shaped, 10–20 cm, fresh green with striking blood-red veins and a red leaf stalk.

Flower

Small red-green flowers in long, narrow spikes in June–July.

Flavour

Mild and slightly sour, softer than common sorrel, especially in young leaves.

Roots

Sturdy taproot: the plant is robust and is moved best when still young.

Flowering: June–July · Harvest and fruit: March–June and August–September · Sowing: April–May · Plants: April–May and September · Pruning: June–July

Why grow it?

• The red-veined leaf pattern is a jewel in the border, in a pot and in the vegetable garden.
• Young leaves are mild and good in a salad; they add colour to the plate.
• Fully hardy and perennial: plant once and pick for years.
• Also grows in half shade and on damp soil.
• A native species: also interesting in a naturalistic garden or herb edge.

Bloody dock: where does it grow best?

• Sun to half shade: the red veins colour best in a bright spot.
• Humus-rich, moisture-retentive soil: sand, loam or clay, acid to chalky.
• Normal to wet: the plant tolerates damp soil well. Do not let the soil get too dry in summer.
• Allow 30 cm between plants, in a row or in a small group.

Light

Sun and partial shade

Soil type

Sand, loam or clay

Acidity

Not fussy

Moisture

Normal or wet

Size

0.5 m tall, 0.3 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -25 °C)

Goes well with

• Chives: The same cuisine and position; the fine foliage makes a nice contrast.
• Red lettuce: Together in a salad they make a colourful plate.
• Lady’s mantle: A soft yellow-green edge in the same half shade.
• Hosta: Large leaves in a shade border beside the red veins.

Bloody dock: when and how to plant it?

Plant in April–May and September.

1. Plant in April–May or in September, when the soil is neither frozen nor too wet; sowing is done in April–May.
2. Loosen the soil and mix in compost; remove weed roots.
3. Set the plant at the same depth as in its pot, 30 cm from the next, and firm the soil.
4. If you sow your own, sow thinly at 1 cm deep and thin the seedlings to 30 cm.
5. Water in and spread a mulch of compost or bark around the base.

Care

Water

Keep the soil moist, especially in dry summers: drought makes the leaves tough and triggers flowering.

Feeding

In spring, a spadeful of compost or organic fertiliser. Little else is needed.

Harvesting

Pick young outer leaves 5–10 cm long. Older leaves are more sour and tougher.

Flower stems

Cut them off as soon as they appear: this gives new leaves and prevents the plant seeding itself.

Dividing

In spring, divide or replace old plants after 3–4 years for fresh, attractive foliage.

Tip: Grown for its green leaves with striking red veins, lovely in salads and borders. Pick the leaves young and cut off the flower stems to limit self-seeding.

Bloody dock: when to prune it?

Pruning months: June–July.

When: In June–July: cut off the flower stems as soon as they appear and cut the plant back if needed for new leaves.

How:

• Cut flower stems off at the base, before the flowers open.
• After a heavy harvest, cut all the leaves back to 5 cm above the ground; fresh, tender leaves regrow.
• Remove yellowed or damaged leaves throughout the season.
• In February–March, clear away last year’s dead leaves.

Caution: If you leave the seed stems, bloody dock seeds itself freely. Cut them off before the seed ripens. Sorrel contains oxalic acid: eat it in moderation.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Sowing

In April–May at 1 cm deep, in place or in pots. Germinates in 2–3 weeks.

Division

In spring or in September: lift the clump, divide it into pieces with roots and replant them separately.

Bloody dock: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −25 °C.

• Fully hardy, down to about −25 °C: no protection is needed, even in hard winters.
• The leaves die back or go limp in winter; in March fresh shoots appear.
• In a pot: stand the pot in a sheltered place and wrap it in hessian so that the roots do not freeze solid.

Diseases and pests

• Slugs: Holes in young leaves. Collect them or put a barrier around the plants.
• Bolting and self-seeding: In dry weather flower stems appear. Cut them off and water more.
• Rust: Small orange pustules under the leaves. Cut off and bin the affected leaves.
• Aphids: On young shoots. Rinse off with water; ladybirds help.

Through the year

• March: First leaves to pick. Divide plants.
• April: Sow or plant. Add compost.
• May: Sow or plant. Harvest.
• June: Cut off flower stems. Water in dry spells.
• July: Cut back for new leaves.
• August: Pick fresh leaves. Water in dry spells.
• September: Plant or divide.
• November: Clear dead leaves. Lay mulch.

Edible and useful

Leaves (March–June and August–September)

From March to June, pick the young outer leaves, 5–10 cm long; cut the plant back in July and you can pick fresh leaves again in August and September. Older leaves are more sour and tough. Bloody dock tastes mild and slightly sour, gentler than common sorrel. Raw, it is mainly a decorative touch: a few young leaves with their red veins in a mixed salad. If you want to eat more of it, cook it, like spinach or sorrel: the red veins do fade, though.

Storing

Fresh, two to three days in a bag in the fridge. Blanched and squeezed well, the leaves can be frozen in portions for up to 6 months; then use them in soup or stoemp. Drying is pointless.

Caution: Bloody dock contains oxalic acid, like sorrel, spinach and rhubarb. Only eat young leaves, and in moderation: now and then, not every day and not large amounts raw. Not with kidney stones, gout or rheumatism, and give young children only a little. Preferably cook the leaves briefly and pour away the cooking water: that removes some of the oxalic acid. Do not cook it in an aluminium or iron pan.

Eating and using is at your own risk: see the terms of use.

Recipes

• Stoemp (Belgian mash) with bloody dock (Dish · 4 people · 40 min)
• Mixed salad with bloody dock (Dish · 4 people · 15 min)

Did you know?

• The species name sanguineus is Latin for ‘blood-red’ and refers to the red veins.
• The leaves look best raw: when heated they lose their strong colour contrast.
• Like other sorrels, the plant contains oxalic acid, one of the reasons for its light, fresh sourness.