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Plant Height: 10 inches
Flower Height: 16 inches
Spacing: 12 inches
Sunlight:
Hardiness Zone: (annual)
Other Names: Buckler-Leaved Sorrel, Lemon in a Leaf, Sour Dock
Description:
This variety is primarily grown for its culinary value; leaves have a tangy, acidic, sour lemon flavor; young leaves are mild in flavor, intensifying with age; used in salads and cooking; self-seeds and can be aggressive, remove spent flowers
Edible Qualities
French Sorrel is an annual herb that is commonly grown for its edible qualities, although it does have ornamental merits as well. The crinkled oval green leaves are usually harvested from early to late summer. The leaves have a tangy taste and a crisp texture.
The leaves are most often used in the following ways:
- Fresh Eating
- Cooking
Planting & Growing
French Sorrel will grow to be about 10 inches tall at maturity extending to 16 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 18 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 12 inches apart. Although it's not a true annual, this fast-growing plant can be expected to behave as an annual in our climate if left outdoors over the winter, usually needing replacement the following year. As such, gardeners should take into consideration that it will perform differently than it would in its native habitat.
This plant can be integrated into a landscape or flower garden by creative gardeners, but is usually grown in a designated herb garden. It does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This species is not originally from North America. It can be propagated by division.
French Sorrel is a good choice for the edible garden, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. It is often used as a 'filler' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, providing a mass of flowers and foliage against which the thriller plants stand out. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.
