Sheep Sorrel

Rumex acerosella

Description

These plants are seldom more than 30 centimeters tall. They have alternate leaves, often with arrow-like bases, very small flowers, and frequently reddish stems.

Habitat and Distribution

Look for these plants in old fields and other disturbed areas in North America and Europe.

Edible Parts

CAUTION

These plants contain oxalic acid that can be damaging if too many plants are eaten raw. Cooking seems to destroy the chemical.

Steve's notes:

The leaves are often reddish in some areas. Once you get to know the green-reddish look that the patches of these plants have, you can spot them from a long distance away.

Sheep sorrel, like wood sorrel and the common shamrock, is delicious and thirst-quenching in small quantities. The oxalic acid means you shouldn't eat much.

Edible Plants | Sheep Sorrel