Sorrel – A Fantastic and Easy-to-Grow Perennial Vegetable

Sorrel is one of those perennial vegetables that is easy to grow, and it’s fairly easy to find in nurseries, which isn’t always the case with perennial vegetables.

Plus, it tastes good, and it’s easy to use in cooking.

This all makes it a great perennial vegetable to get started with. But there are some basic things you should know before you get started with sorrels.

Let’s dive into what you should know before you start growing sorrel, plus some tips on how to get the most out of your new plants.

But before we do, don’t forget to grab your free and easy-to-print cheat-sheet covering 11 perennial greens, including sorrel. Sorrel is just one of many awesome perennial greens that you can grow on your property. So grab the cheat-sheet so you can learn more about these other fantastic perennial greens.

While there are many different types of sorrel, French sorrel (Rumex scutatus) is the most common type of sorrel that I see sold in nurseries, and seeds are also fairly easy to find.

But you may find another type of sorrel called bloody dock or red veined sorrel (Rumex sanguineus ssp. sanguineus) being sold as an herb or ornamental.

Another type is the garden sorrel, which is sometimes called English sorrel (Rumex acetosa). This type seems to be more cold-hardy (zone 4) than French or red veined sorrels (zone 6).

And you may have a wild type of sorrel often called sheep sorrel or red sorrel growing as a weed on your property right now.

Sheep sorrel is edible and has a very similar flavor to other sorrels. It tends to have smaller leaves, making harvesting a bit more challenging. But it also spreads and grows easily on its own making, it an easy wild food to harvest.

All these sorrels are edible and have a similar flavor that can be described as lemony and tangy or tart.

Some sources state that a small amount of sorrel can go a long way due to the strength of its flavor. I haven’t found this to be the case, but keep this in mind when deciding how much to grow.

Sorrels do have oxalic acid, which can be harmful if eaten in large quantities. But spinach, chard and other common vegetables also have oxalic acid in them. I’m not a doctor and this shouldn’t be taken as health advice, but in general, as long as you eat a mix of different types of greens you shouldn’t have any issues including sorrel in your diets.

My family and I use sorrel on a regular basis without any issues.

Sorrels are also relatively hardy plants, and depending on the specific variety, they can be grown as perennials between USDA climate zones 3 and 8. Check the specific variety you’re going to grow to make sure it will work in your area. Some don’t like the heat, and others aren’t as cold hardy.

Sorrel can be a great addition to your kitchen garden, but there are some things to take into account before you add it to the mix.

The first is that sorrel will go to seed fairly easily. But unlike lettuce, this doesn’t mark the end of its growing season.

When sorrel starts to flower, you will see stalks growing up above the rest of the leaves. These are easy to pinch off when they’re still young and soft. If you keep up with them, you shouldn’t have any issues.

But if you do let them go, I find the best approach is to cut the stalks and the leaves back to an inch or 2 above the ground. The sorrel should regrow quickly, providing you with an abundance of young green leaves.

You can also cut back your sorrel anytime the leaves start to get old and tough. It will quickly regrow. I would avoid doing this during the middle of summer to avoid stressing the plants.

French, English and red veined sorrels can all be grown in your garden, but I wouldn’t grow sheep sorrel there.

The first 3 types of sorrel form plants take up about the same amount of space as a large broccoli plant. As long as they don’t go to seed, they won’t spread.

But sheep sorrel will spread by horizontal growing roots, making it a better plant for your hedgerows, food forests, or other perennial growing areas. You would be in a constant battle with it if you planted it in your vegetable garden.

Sorrel can be a bit sensitive to hot weather and often wilts under full summer sun. Blood veined sorrel especially prefers a semi-sheltered area that stays moist.

During the first year, your sorrels may need extra water if they’re fully exposed to the sun. But after their first year they should be able to handle the heat (though they may still wilt).

Watch them and be ready to give them extra water if they don’t stop wilting once out of direct sunlight. You can also use my basic finger test to check to soil to see if you should water—though perennials like sorrels generally need less water than traditional vegetables.

Because of this, you may want to grow your sorrel where they don’t have to deal with late afternoon sun.

Like all perennial vegetables, let your new plants get established before harvesting them heavily. Make sure to only take a few leaves during the first year, but you should have a never-ending supply of leaves after the first year with only a few plants.