Botanical profile

Sorrel

Latin name
Rumex acetosa
Common name
Sorrel
Type
Perennial
Family
Polygonaceae

Sorrel is an edible perennial plant highly prized for its tender green foliage with a fresh, tangy, and slightly lemony taste. Its leaves can be harvested as needed and bring a lively flavor to salads, soups, sauces, omelets, fish, potatoes, vegetables, and spring recipes. Easy to integrate into the vegetable garden, herb gardens, edible containers, and gourmet borders, it offers a generous and convenient harvest throughout the season.

Easy to grow, sorrel prefers a location with gentle sun or partial shade, in fertile, fresh, deep, and well-drained soil. It appreciates regular watering to keep its foliage tender and pleasant to eat, especially during warm periods. Frequent harvesting of young leaves promotes the production of new shoots and helps keep the plant more compact. It is also possible to remove flower stalks to prolong the quality of the foliage.

Both productive, hardy, and very versatile in the kitchen, sorrel is an excellent plant for gardeners looking for an easy-to-maintain edible perennial. Its tangy taste adds freshness to dishes and diversifies the vegetable garden's harvest. It is an ideal choice to enrich a gourmet garden, an herb patch, or an edible landscape with a durable, flavorful, and simple-to-grow plant.

Care guide

Care level
Easy

Choosing this plant

Main benefit
Highly productive, easy-to-grow edible tart foliage
Vegetable garden, herbs, edible garden, container, vegetable border
Container growing
Excellent for container culture in a deep, well-drained pot
Seasonal care
Harvest young leaves regularly; cut flower stalks to prolong production; divide clumps every 3 to 4 years
Growing conditions

Light, soil, water and hardiness

Hardiness zone
Zone 3 and above
Exposure
Sun to partial shade
Watering
Regular; keep the soil moist without waterlogging
Humidity
Average humidity; prefers cool soil
Fertilization
Compost in spring; light fertilization after harvesting
Soil type
Fertile, cool, humus-rich and well-drained soil
Soil pH
Slightly acidic to neutral
Minimum temperature
-30°C
Propagation method
Sowing or dividing
Plant appearance

Blooming, foliage and shape

Blooming period
Warm season if flowering
Flower color
Reddish-green
Fruiting
Late season seeds
Foliage color
Green
Foliage type
Obsolete
Shape
Leafy rosette habit
Garden structure

Size and growth

Height
30 to 60 cm (12 to 24 inches)
Width
30 to 45 cm (12 to 18 inches)
Growth rate
Rapid growth
Vegetable garden and yield

Companion planting, spacing and harvest

Companion plants
Strawberries, lettuce, chives, parsley
Spacing
30 to 45 cm (12 to 18 inches)
Harvest period
From spring to autumn leaves
Not recommended for pets
Not recommended for pets

Pets

The availability of our plants varies depending on arrivals, seasons, nursery production and supplier availability. Some varieties may be offered for a limited time only, depending on their natural cycle or current stock. These plant profiles are designed to guide and inspire you when choosing plants for the garden, landscaping projects, containers or long-lasting outdoor arrangements.