Wood Sorrels

by Joshua Heston

With delicate, almost violet-like petals, the wood sorrels can be hard to identify — unless you know to look at the leaves.

The distinctive, clover-like tri-leaf structure is unmistakable.

Sorrel is the German word of “sour” which references the taste of the leaves — leaves with a long history of scurvy prevention because of their vitamin C content.

The leaves are also a rich source of oxalic acid, so care should be taken in eating the plant.

In North America, Oxalis stricta (Yellow Wood Sorrel) is the most common and is usually regarded as a weed.

On this page, Oxalis violacea (Violet Wood Sorrel, plates 1, 3, 4) and Oxalis montana (Common Wood Sorrel, plate 2) are pictured.

Both were found growing on the mountainsides within the Mincy Drury Conservation Area.

Violet Wood Sorrel (Oxalis violacea)

Size: 1 to 6 inches tall; flowers 1/2 to 3/4 inch wide. What to look for: flowers purple, on slender stalks; leaflets in 3’s, heart-shaped, purplish below. Habitat: open woods, clearings, thickets, prairies. In bloom: April through October.

— page 402, Wernett, Susan J., et al. North American Wildlife. The Reader's Digest Association, Inc., 1986.

Common Wood Sorrel (Oxalis montana)

Size: 1 to 6 inches tall; flowers 1/2 to 3/4 inch wide. What to look for: flowers white with purplish stripes, on slender stalks; leaflets in 3’s, heart-shaped, closed at night. Habitat: open woods, fields, clearings, lawns, waste places. In bloom: March through November.

— page 402, Wernett, Susan J., et al. North American Wildlife. The Reader's Digest Association, Inc., 1986.

From The Herbal Compendium:

Lady’s Sorrel. Oxalis acetosella.

Wood Sorrel. Common Sorrel.

Leaves: Refrigerant. Antiseptic. Diaphoretic. Diuretic.

Uses similar to sheep sorrel. Beneficial when eaten green. “Woods and shady places. Can. and U.S. June.”

—page 176, Shaker Medicinal Herbs: A Compendium of History, Lore and Uses by Amy Bess Miller

A word of safety: folk remedies on StateoftheOzarks are published for informational purposes only. These remedies are never intended to cure, treat or mitigate any disease or disease condition. For questions about disease or disease conditions, consult a qualified healthcare professional.