Sorrel

Rumex acetosa

Also known as common sorrel (EN) garden sorrel (EN) spinach dock (EN) narrow-leaved dock (EN)

How to sow sorrel: Direct seed outdoors or root division

Sun requirement for sorrel: Plant in Full Sun

Sorrel is a hardy perennial herb that produces some of the earliest spring and latest fall greens. The plant has deep roots and long, wide, tapering leaves with juicy stems. Leaves have a sour, tangy, lemony taste and are delicious in salads, soups, and sandwiches. In the summer, Sorrel will bolt, producing reddish-green flowers and setting seed. This bolting can be reduced by harvesting consistently. Even if Sorrel sets seed in the summer, it will produce another set of edible leaves in the fall.

16: plantings
3: harvests
4: seed packets

Growing sorrels

Perennial

living more than two years

First harvest expected

14 weeks after planting

Height

60cm

Spread

45cm

Row Spacing

30cm

Grown for

leaf harvested 2 times

How members grow sorrels

Sunniness

Planted from

Harvested for

Photos

Sorrel crops

Photo by Zeke Marshall via iNaturalist (Copyright Zeke Marshall)

by cropbot 2024-01-02 0

Photo by coebert97 via iNaturalist (Copyright coebert97)

by cropbot 2024-01-04 0

Photo by Sylvain G via iNaturalist (Copyright Sylvain G)

by cropbot 2024-01-06 0

Sorrel plantings

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by shiny 2018-05-20 0

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by shiny 2018-06-16 0

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by shiny 2018-07-21 0

More photos

Video

Where sorrels grow

Only plantings by members who have set their locations are shown.

What people are saying about sorrels

A long and garden free winter

by malissa,

It's hot this weekend - after a brief first Spring we are skipping second Spring and going straight to Summer. It's beautiful, blue and hot and today, at least, the poison wind seems to have died down. I've spent the morning ripping up all the weeds that appear to have exploded in the last week. …

sorrels mint lemon balm parsley garlic

A slow start to summer

by Skud,

I'm so very, very behind on my gardening. I was travelling heaps and had lots of other commitments through October/November, which is peak spring planting time here, and nothing got done. I've come to the realisation that if I'm going to do work that involves that sort of travel, I need to cut …

cavalo nero sunflowers arugula sorrels tomatoes San Marzano tomatoes eggplants zucchini squash

Who's planted sorrels

Skud Thornbury side garden · Ballarat, Victoria,...
malissa Courtyard garden · Melbourne, Victoria
piranha Back Garden · East Coast, Central...
iiiiiii rb · haute marne
Lemony Garden · Reading England

Sorrel

Growing sorrels