Common Sorrel (Rumex acetosa) How to Identify Common Sorrel. There is a small purple variety called Creeping Wood Sorrel which is common in many gardens growing … How people can help The Wildlife Trusts manage many woodland nature reserves sympathetically for the benefit of all kinds of wildlife. One of my favourite wild flower guidebooks (Wild Flowers of Britain and Europe W.Lippert and D.Podlech 1993) lists it alongside a skull-and-crossbones icon, just above the listing for White Bryony (Bryonia alba) which is one of the more toxic plant in the wilds of the U.K. Required fields are marked *.
This includes Pink-sorrel and similar species with pink flowers and larger leaves, as well as yellow flowered species that are fairly common in flower beds. Wood-sorrel is used as an indicator of ancient woodlands mainly in Central and Southern England. You can also find details of our Foraging and Wild Food courses in North Wales below. Wood Sorrel (Oxalis spp) How to Identify Wood Sorrel. Your email address will not be published. Common Wood Sorrel (Oxalis acetosella)is sometimes listed as being a toxic plant in wild flower identification keys, and as being a prized edible in foraging guides. Saying that, you would have to eat a serious amount of wood sorrel to get to this point. Large mature sorrel leaves can look a bit like young Lords & Ladies leaves. Sorrel can be used as a garnish, a salad leaf, a green for a great soup, stews or as a sweet ingredient for cakes and sorbets. This organic compound can lead to various medical issues when ingested in different forms, and research suggests it can lead to kidney stones and most guides suggest that sufferers of gout and pregnant women avoid it. A white bell-shaped flower appears mid-Spring, and can also be identified by thin purple veins running along the petals.
Sharp and citrus, described by many as like apple peel. Follow THIS LINK to see what we are doing about COVID-19 and our courses Dismiss, L2 Inland Foraging Practitioner Course (3 days), Survival Skills and Training for Businesses. Each leaf collection is made up of three heart shaped leaflets, each leaf has a fold down its center which changes, opening and closing dependent on the amount of light available. The leaves have a shiny appearance and are usually green but can develop red features. The leaves are very similar to Meadow Bindweed (in the photo) but this is a sprawling plant that grows along the ground or climbing through grasses. Saying that, you would have to eat a serious amount of common sorrel to get to this point. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. All green leaved varieties are edible. Common sorrel leaves are great for salads, puddings, soups or stews. Oxalis, another common name for this plant, literally means "sour" and … See … The leaves of Meadow Bindweed grow in spiral around the stem and it has white petaled flowers. You should always be confident of the identification of a plant, fungus or lichen BEFORE you touch it and especially before you put it anywhere near your mouth. Small red, green or cream winged seeds that can be carried on the wind easily. Could be confused withClover, the leaves are a little like those found on a clover, the main difference being that a clover leaf sits flat whereas a sorrel leaf has a distinct fold down the center of the leaf, making each leaf almost look like those of a butterfly. Learn how your comment data is processed. Known Hazards This plant contains Oxalic acid, similar to rhubarb, giving it its’ sour taste, if you ingest too much of this acid you can upset your stomach. Edible Use: Leaves: Edible salads, sauces, smoothies, juiced, cakes, icing Flower: All of the above. Your email address will not be published. Wood sorrel has a long known history of culinary use in ancient cultures. All parts of wood sorrel are edible including leaves, flowers, seed pods, and roots. These plants are annual or perennial. The majority of species have three leaflets; in these species, the leaves are superficially similar to those of some clovers. Some species exhibit rapid changes in leaf angle in response to temporarily high light intensity to decrease photoinhibition. The taste is very distinctive, somewhere between apple peel, grape skin and citrus. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. It’s been used to calm stomach upsets. Edible. foraging guide books that we recommend HERE, Foraging and Wild Food courses in North Wales, VIDEO: How to cut down a tree using an axe or hatchet, VIDEO: How to safely pass a knife to somebody. All of this comes from the presence of oxalic acid throughout the plant. Range and DistributionUk, Most of Europe (specifically Northern), Northern America and most of Asia.
Although the plant is edible it should only be eaten in small quantities as it does contain oxalic acid which is thought to cause kidney damage. It seems to prefer partly-shaded areas of the forest floor and where it does establish itself it can carpet large areas of the forest floor, occupying the gaps between other plants and shrubs. Wood sorrel, or oxalis, is a medium-sized wild edible weed that thrives in most areas across Canada and the U.S. We have a blog post on some of the foraging guide books that we recommend HERE. In summer sorrel develops spikes of many small red to yellow flowers. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. This plant amazingly has two types of flower, its first set of flowers from deep purple to white with distinct purple-white veins, are incredibly attractive, opening up and inviting many bumble bees, the second set of flowers that appear later in the year are called cleistogamous flower, these are very small, remaining fully closed and will self-pollinate. Buckinghamshire, Milton Keynes, Shenley Wood Foraging Courses, Cheshire, Marbury Country Park Foraging Courses, Gloucestershire, Cirencester Foraging Courses, Pan-Fried Salmon with Wild Garlic Salsa Verde, Broad Bean, Wild Garlic and Sorrel Hummus, Penny Buns with Garlic Mash and Sorrel Gremolata, Common Sorrel, Garden Sorrel, Narrow Leaved Dock, Spinach Dock.
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The flowers of this plant can be used to obtain yellow, orange, and red to brown dyes. In some countries sorrel is another name for Hibiscus. There is also Mountain Wood Sorrel (Oxalis montana) found in North America. Foraging and hunting for wild food is a potentially hazardous activity. OxalidaceaeKnown HazardsThis plant contains Oxalic acid, similar to rhubarb, giving it its’ sour taste, if you ingest too much of this acid you can upset your stomach. See Other Facts below before consumption. Botanical Name Oxalis spp Family. It’s a diuretic and has antiscorbutic properties as well has having a great cooling ability. Wood Sorrel is easily identified by the three heart-shaped lobes of the leaf, and the overall size and distribution. Oxalidaceae Known Hazards This plant contains Oxalic acid, similar to rhubarb, giving it its’ sour taste, if you ingest too much of this acid you can upset your stomach. The sharply pointed “tails” (lobes) of sorrel leaves distinguish it from the rounded lobes of the Lords & Ladies leaves. The plant can be found in the northern hemisphere in shady woodlands and I have found it in pretty much every European country I have visited. Edible.
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