Sorrel as a Perennial Weed

Plant Characteristics

• Red sorrel is a perennial herb with an 18-month life span. It reproduces by both seeds and rhizome, and within the 18 months will have produced adjoining crowns. This is a weed that can vary in appearance and reproduction. Its roots spread and sprout shoots until the rooting system becomes quite shallow and the plant may become a dense mat with a number of crowns. The mature leaves are a distinctive arrow shape, growing to 4 inches in length with lobes at the base that aid identification. Each crown can produce several tough, upright reddish-brown flower stems to a height of 18 inches.

Flowers

• Often a single-sex plant, red sorrel may have either male or female flowers, although there are plants with both male and female flowers and even plants with bisexual flowers. The female flowers are greenish white and the male flowers yellow to red. The flowers appear on the upright stems from May to August in North America and develop into red-brown to yellow-brown seeds, giving the definitive red color seen in the field.

Habitat

• Red sorrel thrives in both acid and alkaline soils and is most often seen on roadsides and wasteland, though it can be troublesome in pastures, meadows, grass lawns and strawberry crops, according to the Ohio State University Extension. The plant does not compete well with sown pastures or crops, but it will tolerate poor drainage and sandy gravel sites. Sorrel is often an indicator of acid soils in pastures. Red sorrel may be found all over the United States and parts of Canada.

Treatment

• Like its relative, rhubarb, red sorrel leaves contain oxalic acid, which if consumed by livestock in sufficient quantities can be toxic. In agriculture red sorrel is controlled by the application of pre-emergent and post-emergent herbicides, although red sorrel is not often a problem in crops. In the home garden, red sorrel can be removed by hand if care is taken to remove the entire root. Home-use chemical sprays are available, but a healthy lawn will compete well against this weed.