French sorrel

French sorrel: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Low, cushion-forming to creeping herb 30–40 cm tall and wide, which spreads slowly by a creeping rootstock.

Leaves

Shield- or arrow-shaped, fleshy and blue-green, 2–5 cm long; the leaf stalk is thin and straight.

Flower

Small green-red flowers in loose spikes in June–July.

Flavour

Fresh, lemony and sharp, milder than common sorrel.

Roots

Deep, branched rootstock: the plant is sturdy and tolerates dry spells.

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

Why grow it?

• Fresh, lemony leaves, lovely in salads, sauces and egg dishes.
• Low and compact: ideal for the edge of the vegetable plot, a rock garden or a pot on the patio.
• Tolerates drought better than common sorrel and grows on poor, free-draining soil.
• Fully hardy and perennial: pick for years with little work.
• The blue-green foliage is also decorative, for example as ground cover.

French sorrel: where does it grow best?

• Full sun to half shade: in sun the flavour is stronger, in half shade the leaves stay softer.
• Loose, free-draining sandy or loamy soil; acid to chalky. It also grows on poor, stony soil.
• Dry to normal moisture: wet clay in winter causes rot.
• Allow 30–40 cm between plants; in a pot, at least 20 cm across.

Light

Sun and partial shade

Soil type

Sand or loam

Acidity

Not fussy

Moisture

Dry or normal

Size

0.4 m tall, 0.4 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -25 °C)

Goes well with

• Thyme: The same dry, sunny spot and a nice contrast in foliage.
• Chives: The same cuisine and position.
• Lavender: Goes with the same warm, free-draining soil in a herb border.
• Rock garden plants: In a rock garden: attractive fleshy, blue-green foliage beside small flowering plants.

French sorrel: 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. Choose a sunny, free-draining spot and, in heavy soil, mix a little sand or grit into the ground.
3. Set the plant at the same depth as in its pot, 30–40 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 add a thin mulch; preferably grit or sand rather than a thick layer of compost.

Care

Water

Keep the soil lightly moist until well rooted. After that only in long dry spells, as it is fairly drought tolerant.

Feeding

Little needed: a bit of compost in spring is enough. Soil that is too rich makes the leaves floppy.

Harvesting

Pick young leaves from the outside inwards; the heart stays. Use fresh, especially young leaves.

Flower stems

Cut them off as soon as they appear: this gives new leaves and limits self-seeding.

Dividing

In spring, divide or replace the plant after 3–4 years for fresh leaves.

Tip: Small, shield-shaped leaves with a fresh, lemony flavour, delicious in salads. Cut off the flower stems for new leaves.

French sorrel: 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 3–5 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: Like other sorrels, French 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.

French sorrel: 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, as long as the soil is free-draining.
• The leaves die back or go limp in winter; in March fresh shoots appear.
• In a pot: stand the pot in a sheltered place, slightly raised, 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: In dry or hot weather flower stems appear and the leaves turn tough. Cut the stems off and water.
• Root rot: Wet feet in winter make the plant yellow and die. Provide free-draining soil or a pot with drainage holes.
• Rust: Small orange pustules under the leaves. Cut off and bin the affected leaves.

Through the year

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

Edible and useful

Leaves (April–October)

Pick the small, shield-shaped leaves from April to October, always the youngest; cut off the flowering stems so the plant keeps producing leaves. French sorrel is milder and less sour than common sorrel, with a fresh taste of lemon and green apple. Delicious raw in a mixed salad, on bread with cheese, in an omelette or chopped into herb butter.

Storing

Fresh, 2 to 3 days in a box in the fridge. Chopped, the leaves can be frozen in a little water or butter. Drying is not worth it.

Caution: French sorrel also contains oxalic acid: enjoy it, but not large amounts every day, certainly not with kidney stones, gout or rheumatism. Give young children only a little. The plant spreads slowly with creeping stems; in a herb bed it is easy to keep in check.

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

Recipes

• Omelette with French sorrel and goat’s cheese (Dish · 2 people · 15 min)

Did you know?

• The species name scutatus comes from the Latin scutum, a shield, after the shape of the leaves.
• In the wild it grows on rocks, scree and old walls in the mountains of southern and central Europe.
• In France it is a classic in the kitchen, for example in a sauce for fish and in omelettes.