Buckler-Leaved Sorrel, French sorrel
Rumex scutatus
Family: Polygonaceae
What it is like
Rumex scutatus is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.6 m (2ft) by 0.6 m (2ft in) at a medium rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 6 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from June to July, and the seeds ripen from July to August. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Wind. It is noted for attracting wildlife. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil and can tolerate drought. The plant can tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure.
Height (m): 0.6
Where it is found
Old walls and mountain pastures.
Europe. Occasionally naturalized in Britain.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 4
Leaves - raw or cooked. A delicious lemon-like flavour, most people find them overpowering if used in quantity, but they make a delightful addition to the salad bowl and can also be used as a pot-herb. This species has less acid leaves and so is often preferred to sorrel (R, acetosa). The leaves should be used sparingly due to the oxalic acid content.
Medicine
Rating: 1
The leaves are antiscorbutic, astringent, diuretic, laxative and refrigerant. They are rarely used as a specifically medicinal plant.
Antiscorbutic: A plant rich in vitamin C that is used to counteract scurvy.
Astringent: Produces contraction in living tissue, reducing the flow of secretions and discharges of blood, mucus, diarrhoea etc.
Diuretic: Acts on the kidneys, promoting the flow of urine.
Laxative: Stimulates bowel movements in a fairly gentle manner.
Refrigerant: Cools the body.
Other
Rating: 2
The cultivar 'Silver Shield' makes a good, if rampant, ground cover beside paths and at the front of borders. Although no specific mention has been made for this species, dark green to brown and dark grey dyes can be obtained from the roots of many species in this genus, They do not need a mordant. A dynamic accumulator gathering minerals or nutrients from the soil and storing them in a more bioavailable form - used as fertilizer or to improve mulch.
Dye: Plants that provide dyes.
Attracts Wildlife: Plants noted for attracting wildlife
Dynamic accumulator: Plants that gather minerals or nutrients from the soil and store them in a more bioavailable form and in high concentration in their tissues. Used as fertilizer or to improve mulch.
Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.
Ground cover: Ground Cover
How it is grown
A very easily grown plant, succeeding in most soils but preferring a moist moderately fertile well-drained soil in a sunny position. Prefers a rather dry soil. Established plants are drought tolerant. Plants often self-sow freely in the garden. Buckler-leafed sorrel is occasionally cultivated for its edible leaves. There are some named varieties that have been selected for their ornamental value. A food plant for the caterpillars of many species of butterfly. For polyculture design as well as the above-ground architecture (form - tree, shrub etc. and size shown above) information on the habit and root pattern is also useful and given here if available. The plant growth habit is a clumper with limited spread. In garden design, as well as the above-ground architecture of a plant, root structure considerations help in choosing plants that work together for their optimal soil requirements including nutrients and water. The root pattern is fleshy. Thick or swollen - fibrous or tap root .
Propagating it: Seed - sow spring in a cold frame. Germination is rapid, the seedlings can be pricked out into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and are planted out in early summer. It should also be possible to sow the seed in situ in mid spring. Division in spring. Division is easy at any time in the growing season, though the plants establish better in the spring. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found it best to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in a lightly shaded position in a cold frame, planting them out once they are well established in the summer.
Best place to grow: Ground Cover; East Wall. In. South Wall. In. West Wall. In.
Habit: Perennial
Hardiness: 5-9
Growth: Medium
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Moist
Things to keep in mind
Plants can contain quite high levels of oxalic acid, which is what gives the leaves of many members of this genus an acid-lemon flavour. Perfectly alright in small quantities, the leaves should not be eaten in large amounts since the oxalic acid can lock-up other nutrients in the food, especially calcium, thus causing mineral deficiencies. The oxalic acid content will be reduced if the plant is cooked. People with a tendency to rheumatism, arthritis, gout, kidney stones or hyperacidity should take especial caution if including this plant in their diet since it can aggravate their condition.