Sheep Sorrel
Scientific Name:
Rumex acetosella
Type:
Herbaceous Plant
Habitat:
Grasslands, prairies, and mountain meadows
Range:
Native to Eurasia; widespread across the northern hemisphere
Status:
No listed status
This species is
NON-NATIVE
to the Truckee Meadows.
Identification:
Sheep sorrel is a perennial plant native to Eurasia. It can be recognized by its arrow-shaped leaves which are clumped into a group. Their leaves are hairless and green in color, and their flowers are red and appear like beads at the top of a long stem reaching upwards. Sheep sorrel grows 6 to 14 inches tall.
Fast Facts:
Sheep sorrel is a member of the buckwheat family.
Sheep sorrel flowers have both male and female reproductive parts.
This plant can reproduce not only through seed dispersal and germination, but also by shooting out roots from its stems. Therefore, they are able to spread directly along the ground where they grow.
Leaves of this plant when consumed have a lemony taste, they can be used as a thickener for soup. Both seeds and leaves can be eaten raw or cooked. When ground into a powder, the leaves can be turned into a flower and ultimately noodles!
This plant is often found in regions where blueberries are grown!
While only non-native to Nevada, sheep sorrel is listed as invasive in AZ, CT, HI, NY, OR, TN, VA, WA, WI, and WV.
Sources:
Edible Wild Food, Sheep Sorrel, 2021, https://www.ediblewildfood.com/sheep-sorrel.aspx
USDA, Rumex acetosella, 2021, https://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/forb/rumace/all.html
3U.S. Forest Service, Sheep Sorrel, 2006, https://www.invasive.org/weedcd/pdfs/wow/sheep-sorrel.pdf
Image: Leslie Seaton,https://www.flickr.com/photos/lacatholique/7155149951, license https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/, cropped from original.
Image: Joyce Cory, https://www.flickr.com/photos/docentjoyce/5648413056, license https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/, cropped from original.
Contributor(s):
Bridget Mulkerin (research & content)
Alex Shahbazi (edits & page design)