All plants /Ground /Sheep Sorrel
Sheep Sorrel
Rumex acetosella, buckwheat family. Common in East and Central Texas.
At a glance
- What
- Arrow-shaped leaves
- How
- Raw as a lemony garnish
- When
- Spring
- Where
- Acid soils, lawns, fields
- Value
- Vitamin C; sharp and sour
Caution: The lemon tang is oxalic acid: a fine garnish and nibble, not a whole salad, and best skipped by those prone to kidney stones. Never eat a wild plant on this guide's word alone. Confirm identity against several sources and learn the look-alikes first.
Identification
Small arrowhead leaves with backward-pointing lobes, low in lawns and poor soils. Pleasantly sour when you chew one.
On the trail
A bright wild lemon: scatter a few leaves over fish or into a salad for a jolt of sourness.
Photo: Robert Flogaus-Faust, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Forages well with
Forage safely. Never eat a wild plant on this site's word alone. Confirm identity with several sources, learn the look-alikes, and when in doubt, leave it in the ground.