Red Veined Sorrel
Rumex sanguineus • Organic • Open-Pollinated
The prettiest leaf I ever did see.
JOY MAX SCALE ✦✦✦✦✦
This stunning plant requires almost no care, comes back year after year, and is full of nutrition. The edible leaves have a lemony tang that’s wonderful in salads or smoothies and contain more beta carotene than carrots.
JOY MAX QUALITIES
✦ Red-veined sorrel, also called bloody dock or bloody sorrel, is a member of the buckwheat family and grown for its beautiful edible leaves.
✦ Once established, it becomes a reliable perennial in zones 5 to 8, but often overwinters in zone 4, particularly if there is ample snow cover.
✦ It grows in tidy clumps and the color and texture are so pretty you’ll want to plant it in the landscape at the front of a border rather than in a garden bed where it will take up space you could use with seasonal crops.
✦ Very drought tolerant once established.
✧ Best when harvested young for salad mix as large leaves are tough.
✧ Like spinach, sorrel contains oxalic acid which interferes with the absorption of nutrients like iron and calcium. It may cause mild stomach upset in those who are sensitive to it.
PLANT HEIGHT: 6-10” PLANT WIDTH: 10-12" SEED SPACING: 2" thin to 8-12" when 2" tall SEED DEPTH: 1/4" PLANT SPACING: 12" GERM: 5-10 days IDEAL TEMP: 65-70°F (18-21°C) DAYS TO MATURITY: 50 baby; 55 full size SOIL: Fertile soil LIGHT: Full / Part Sun
Popping sorrel leaves in an air fryer removes the slight bitterness and the chips are delicious with just a sprinkle of kosher salt.
So pretty interplanted with sweet alyssum.
How to Grow Sorrel
Direct sow seeds in sun to part sun, two to three weeks before the last frost. Space them two inches apart and 1/4” deep. Keep the soil evenly moist until the seeds germinate and the plants are about two inches tall. At that point, they can be thinned to a foot apart. You can replant the thinnings in a different part of the garden or even a container. Or, you can eat them.
You can also easily start them indoors if you prefer. Start indoors in cell-type containers sowing 2-3 seeds/cell and covering with 1/4" of soil. Sorrel looks great in containers interplanted with calibrachoa, geraniums, petunias, begonias, grasses, alyssum, and sweet potato vines. Make sure it has at least 12” of space.
Tips for Growing Sorrel
For our hot summers in Austin, dappled shade is ideal for sorrel.
When flower stalks emerge in summer, snip them off. They’re not very attractive and the growing flower stalks also slow new leaf production. If you want to devote some to going to seed though, it is a good way to grow more plants.
After a few months of summer heat, you may notice your plants beginning to look a bit ragged. Once temps cool a bit, cut them back hard to force new growth. It won’t be long before you see plenty of fresh, tender leaves emerging. Do this again when winter starts to fade for a spring bounce.
Divide overgrown plants. After a few years, you may have large clumps. Dig them out and move to new spots, containers, or give them away.
Each spring, give them a fresh application of compost and a balanced organic fertilizer. Mulch around them with pine straw or interplant with alyssum.
Companion Planting
A useful garden companion, sorrel does well with a number of other herbs and vegetables. It also does well when planted alongside low-growing crops such as strawberries. It also does well when planted with other perennial herbs such as rosemary, thyme, and sage.