Sheeps Sorrel, Common sheep sorrel
Rumex acetosella
Family: Polygonaceae
What it is like
Rumex acetosella is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.3 m (1ft) by 1 m (3ft 3in) at a fast rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 5 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from May to August, and the seeds ripen from July to September. The species is dioecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but only one sex is to be found on any one plant so both male and female plants must be grown if seed is required). and is pollinated by Wind. The plant is not self-fertile. It is noted for attracting wildlife. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils and can grow in very acid soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil. The plant can tolerate maritime exposure.
Height (m): 0.3
Where it is found
Heaths and acid grasslands. A weed of acid soils.
Cetral and southeastern Europe, including Britain, as far north as Scandanavia and Iceland.
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 consider them too strong to use in quantity, but they are excellent as a flavouring in mixed salads. The leaves should only be used in small quantities due to the oxalic acid content. The leaves can be used as thickeners in soups etc, they can also be dried for later use. Root - cooked. It can be dried, ground into a powder and made into noodles. Seed - raw or cooked. Easy to harvest, but the seed is rather small and fiddly to use. A drink similar to lemonade (but without the fizz) is made by boiling up the leaves.
Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.
Seed: includes nuts, cereals, peas and beans.
Drink: not including plant saps, tea or coffee substitutes.
Medicine
Rating: 3
Sheep's sorrel is a detoxifying herb, the fresh juice of the leaves having a pronounced diuretic effect. Like other members of the genus, it is mildly laxative and holds out potential as a long term treatment for chronic disease, in particular that of the gastro-intestinal tract. The plant is also part of a North American formula called essiac which is a popular treatment for cancer. Its effectiveness has never been reliably proven or disproven since controlled studies have not been carried out. The other herbs included in the formula are Arctium lappa, Ulmus rubra and Rheum palmatum. The whole plant, used in the fresh state, is diaphoretic, diuretic and refrigerant. A tea made from the leaves is used in the treatment of fevers, inflammation and scurvy. The leaf juice is useful in the treatment of urinary and kidney diseases. A leaf poultice is applied to tumours, cysts etc, and is a folk treatment for cancer. A tea made from the roots is astringent and is used in the treatment of diarrhoea and excessive menstrual bleeding.
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.
Poultice: A moist, usually warm or hot, mass of plant material applied to the skin in the treatment of burns etc.
Urinary: Treats urinary problems, including urinary tract infection (UTI).
Other
Rating: 1
Dark green to brown and dark grey dyes can be obtained from the roots, 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.
How it is grown
Succeeds in most soils, preferring a moist moderately fertile well-drained soil in a sunny position. Although a plant of acid soils, it can tolerate some alkalinity. A good food plant for the caterpillars of many species of butterflies, it grows well in the summer meadow. Dioecious. Male and female plants must be grown if seed is required. 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. A clumping mat former. Forming a dense prostrate carpet spreading indefinitely. The root pattern is stoloniferous rooting from creeping stems above the ground.
Propagating it: Seed - sow autumn or spring in situ. Division in spring.
Best place to grow: Meadow;
Habit: Perennial
Hardiness: 4-8
Growth: Fast
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.