All plants /Ground /Wood Sorrel
Wood Sorrel
Oxalis stricta, wood sorrel family. Abundant in East and Central and West Texas.
At a glance
- What
- Leaves, flowers, green seed pods
- How
- Raw as a trail nibble or salad lemon-note
- When
- Spring into summer, fading in high heat
- Where
- Lawns, beds, woodland edges, everywhere
- Value
- Vitamin C; bright oxalic tang
Caution: The lemon tang is oxalic acid: fine as a garnish and nibble, unwise as a whole salad bowl, and worth skipping if you have kidney stone history.
Identification
Three perfect hearts to a leaf, folding along their midline in strong sun, with small five-petal yellow flowers. Clover has ovals; sorrel has hearts.
On the trail
This is the classic first forage: safe to recognize, bright to taste, growing in every yard. The little pickle-shaped pods pop pleasantly.
Photo: NY State IPM Program at Cornell University from New York, U, CC BY 2.0, 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.