Parts Most Frequently Used: Leaf, Flower, Seed, Immature Green Seed Pod, Tuber

Flavors/Temps: Sour, Tart, Cold, Moistening

Caution: Due to the oxalic acid content, which in high doses inhibits the uptake of calcium, use with caution if you have gout, kidney stones, high blood pressure, rheumatism, arthritis, or suffer from hyperacidity.

History/Folklore: The Latin name, “Oxalis” literally translates as sour referring to the sour taste caused by the oxalic acid content found in the plant. Because the plant flowers around the Catholic Easter holiday it earned the common name “Hallelujah.”

The oxalic acid in the plant is known to be toxic in extremely high doses of 500+ grams because it can inhibit the absorption of calcium. It is perfectly safe when eaten in regular dietary doses in soups, salads and stews.

The plant’s leaves, flowers, seeds, and immature green seed pods are all edible. It is often used in salads, as a seasoning, or in soups or sauces. Some say that it tastes like lemon. Typically the leaves are used and are well liked for making a wonderful refreshing tea (Use one large teaspoon of dried or fresh herb to one cup of liquid.) It can be boiled in water or milk.

As a gargle, wood sorrel was use to heal mouth sores and sooth sore throats.

Like all sorrels (including garden or French sorrel of the Rumex family), it has a long history of being used to treat scurvy, fevers, urinary tract infections, mouth sores, nausea and sore throats. Similarly, fresh sorrel is best for eating in salads and cooked with fish or wild game.

It is useful for treating high fevers as it both cools and quenches thirst.

Old traditional uses suggest that wood sorrel is better than garden or French sorrels as a blood cleanser. It has a history of strengthening a weak digestive tract or stomach, calming nausea, encouraging an appetite.

The juice of wood sorrel can be crystallized to produce a product that is called “Salts of Lemon.” “Salts of Lemon” are said to be more effective than Epsom salts for treating swollen muscles and feet. Mixing powdered salt of sorrel with powdered white sugar is known as “dry lemonade.”

Wood sorrel tubers come in many colors. They contain less oxalic acid than the other parts of the plant so will be less tangy and sour. They can be eaten raw, steamed or in soups or stews.

Common wood sorrel is sometimes referred to as a shamrock and is given as a gift on St Patrick’s Day, due to the plant’s trifoliate clover-like leaf. However, it is the white clover plant that is the plant most associated with the shamrock.

The Chinese use Oxalis corniculata, which is also called sorrel, or Indian sorrel. This herb is a common weed found throughout India. It is used to cool, astringe and treat diarrhea, fever, hemorrhoids, inflammation, and scurvy.

The flowers of wood sorrel can be used to make yellow, orange, red and brown dyes.

The juice of the leaves turns red when clarified.

It is commonly harvested from mid-spring through the fall.

Wood sorrel is often considered a common lawn weed.