Have you seen this charming little plant growing in your yard?
It’s not a weed, as some people think. It’s one of summer’s adorable and edible herbal gifts, rich in Vitamins A & C, flavonoids, and polyphenols. It also has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial properties.
It’s called Wood Sorrel in the genus Oxalis. Throughout history, it had many traditional medicinal uses.
Long ago, this easy-to-grow and beneficial little plant was taken aboard, cared for, and munched on during long sea voyages. Travelers and sailors alike depended on it to prevent scurvy when the lemon and lime stores were exhausted. Don’t miss my Wood Sorrel sandwich and salad ideas below.
Plant Description
Wood Sorrel is from the genus Oxalis, which means sour. Hence its common name, Sour Grass. The yellow flower variety, Oxalis stricta, grows wild in our yard, and we call it the pickle plant! In areas with four seasons, you’ll find it growing in spring and summer or early autumn. If you look online, you’ll discover many beautiful, cultivated varieties with colorful leaves and blossoms; one even has gorgeous purple leaves, which you can find HERE.
Small and compact, it grows in clumps and resembles the unrelated clover plant. Generally, it reaches a height of about 9 inches and has lovely light green leaves that are about an inch wide. Each one has three heart-shaped leaflets that are creased along the center vein, just like a paper heart folded in half.💚 Adorably, they fold closed at night and open again each morning.
It blooms with dainty five-petaled, star-shaped blossoms in yellow, white, pink, or violet, depending on the variety.
Wood sorrel bears, ¾-inch-long seed pods that stand upright. To us, they resemble tiny little okra pods with a pickle taste. When mature, the pods burst open and shoot the seeds several feet into the surrounding area to propagate. The first time I experienced those tiny shooting seeds, I was very surprised at how far they actually traveled.
Culinary Suggestions
To some people, this plant tastes lemony, and to others, it has a bit of a pickle juice or vinegar taste that pairs nicely with fresh salads, sandwiches, and grilled meats.
Fresh summer sandwich idea. A little Yellow Wood Sorrel leaves, blossoms, and seed pods provide a bit of tang and added vitamins to a summer sandwich with roasted turkey breast or protein of your choice, shredded carrot, sliced cherry tomatoes, cut-and-come-again lettuce, alfalfa sprouts, sliced hard-cooked egg, and half of a mashed avocado spread on caraway seeded rye, whole grain, or gluten-free bread.
Use it as a pretty garnish on top of cooked steaks, pork chops, fish fillets, or chicken.
How Much to Use
1/4 to a 1/3 cup of aerial parts (loosely packed) per person. Wood Sorrel should NOT be used to replace all leafy greens, instead, use it as an occasional accompaniment to lettuce on sandwiches, in salads, or as a meat garnish.
All varieties of Wood Sorrel contain oxalic acid which is responsible for the tart taste. You’ll find it in other leafy salad favorites like large-leaf sorrel and spinach. It’s in broccoli, one of my favorite brassicas, and in beets, rhubarb, coffee beans, and chocolate. This herb is safe for most people when eaten in smaller amounts with other foods. You’ll find additional health information at the end of this post.
Summer Sorrel Salad
This serves two but can easily be increased or reduced
From my back garden, I gathered fresh wood sorrel leaves, blossoms, and tender seed pods and picked enough fresh lettuce for two salads.
For leafy greens, I included Romaine, Red Oak Leaf, Butter, a mix of cut-and-come-again lettuce leaves, and Large Leaf Garden Sorrel. All were rinsed and dried.
I reserved a small amount of Wood Sorrel to top the finished salad.
Then, I lightly chopped the remaining leaves and flowers that filled a 1/2 cup measure.
The chopped seed pods measured 1 mounded tablespoon.
In a large salad bowl, I tossed together the chopped salad greens and wood sorrel with 1 shredded carrot. To that, I added 1/3 cup diced and drained pickled beets, 1/4 cup of sliced olives, 1/2 cup chopped ham, and 1/4 cup each of both shredded Asiago and mild Cheddar cheese.
The salad was topped with 2 grated hard-cooked eggs and the reserved whole wood sorrel leaves and blossoms. The salad was dressed with Balsamic Vinegar, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Celtic Salt, and fresh ground Black Peppercorns.
Substitutions: Try roast turkey or chicken in place of the ham. Change out the vegetables for others of your choice, such as cherry tomatoes, diced avocado, celery, or cucumbers. You can skip the vegetables altogether and replace them with seasonal fruits like strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, grapes, or mango.
Plant Habitat
Wood Sorrel is commonly found growing in yards, gardens, along sidewalks, roads, or in parks or nature areas. It prefers loose, evenly moist soil but will adapt and grow in most soil types, provided there is good drainage.
This herb plant prefers partial or dappled shade, especially during the hot noonday sun, but it will tolerate growing in full sun or shady areas.
Harvesting
Using kitchen scissors, prudently cut fresh, tender young leaves, flowers, and seed pods, but leave enough to ensure the plant will continue to grow and thrive.
Foraging
Foraging is a great way to collect free, wild foods that are fresh and nutrient-dense.
Finding Word Sorrel is easy because it often grows right in our backyards or close by. If you are new to foraging or are interested in gathering some of the plentiful wild foods a bit farther from home, you might like to read my blog post, 10 Quick Guidelines When Foraging for Wild Foods.
Additional Health & Safety Information
For those who are pregnant, nursing, or have pre-existing health issues, it’s best to consult with your healthcare practitioner about anything new you would like to eat. Oxalic acid, when eaten in high quantities, can cause nutrient absorption problems, particularly with calcium. I think very few people overeat Wood Sorrel, but I think you’ll agree that many people easily overeat rhubarb pie and chocolate.
Allergies can be a possibility when consuming new foods. It’s a good idea to try new things in very small amounts before eating a full-size serving.
Have you tasted Wood Sorrel? Did you find it growing in your backyard? Do you think you might try adding a little Wood Sorrel to a sandwich or salad this summer? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.
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To download the free Wood Sorrel Herbal Tip Sheet with the same information as this blog post, click HERE
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