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French sorrel

Rumex scutatus

Also called Buckler Leaved Sorrel

French sorrel is a hardy perennial culinary herb with tart, lemony leaves, grown as a clump that can reach about 1 m across. It thrives in full sun and tolerates frost and short dry spells.

Family: Polygonaceae (Buckwheat family)
Grows as: Perennial
Light: Full sun
Water: Water regularly during dry spells so the leaves stay tender, avoiding waterlogged soil.
Soil: Fertile, moist, well-drained soil or garden loam.
Temperature: Hardy in most temperate regions, tolerating frost; protect young plants in severe cold.
How easy: Easy
Safety: Toxic: Leaves contain oxalic acid, which gives the tart flavor and can be harmful in large amounts, especially to people with kidney problems or those prone to oxalate stones.. Toxic to cats and dogs (ASPCA).
Edible: Yes, some parts
Native range: Europe to SW. Siberia and Iran
Climate: temperate

About

Rumex scutatus (syn. Rumex alpestris) is a plant in the buckwheat family, used as a culinary herb. Its common names include French sorrel, buckler sorrel, shield-leaf sorrel, and sometimes the culinary name "green-sauce".

As a culinary herb, it is used in salads, soups, and sauces (especially for fish). French sorrel tastes tart from its oxalic acid content, with a hint of lemon. Later in the season, it can be bitter.

Other Rumex plants

Sorrel · Sheep's Sorrel · Curled Dock · Toothed dock · Cape spinach · Broad-leaved Dock · Patience Dock · Fiddle Dock · Garden Sorrel · Rambling dock · Willow dock · Dock

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Rumex scutatus by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.

The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.

Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.

Pet safety from the ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists.

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Know any plant.Grow it well.