Johnson County Secondary Roads Red Sorrel Weed

Red Sorrel (Rumex acetosella)

Description: Red Sorrel, or sheep sorrel, is a perennial, reproducing from rhizomes and seed. The extensive root system is shallow. The slender, yellow, running rhizomes produce a shoot every few inches, permitting the plant to spread in all directions, and it frequently occurs in dense patches where little else can grow. The yellowish stems are slender, upright, branched at the top, and several may arise from a single crown. The flowering stalks are generally 6 to 10 inches tall, but on occasion, may reach 18 inches or more. The leaves are close to the ground, lance shaped, with a pair of pointed basal lobes inclines away from each other to appear arrow-shaped. Early rosette leaves are usually not lobed. Leaves are alternate, simple, smooth, and acid to the taste. The staminate flowers are yellowish and the pistillate somewhat reddish, give the whole raceme a reddish-yellow color. The small seeds are 3-angled, about 1 to 1.5mm long, shiny, and reddish-brown in color. The hull persists on seeds, is rough, also reddish-brown in color but less shiny.

Distribution: Red sorrel is found through Johnson County and Iowa in pastures, lawns, and soils of poor drainage and low fertility.

What’s The Problem?: Red sorrel grows in dense patches which excludes other native vegetation. Native species which cannot tolerate large amounts of competition for light and water may not be able to survive. In lawns, red sorrel is mainly an eyesore, but can reach infestation levels if not properly managed. Well-established turf can help to keep out red sorrel invasions.

Management Methods: Cultural (tillage, cultivation), mechanical (hand removal, mowing), and chemical methods are commonly used methods for control of red sorrel. If chemical management methods are chosen, always read and follow label directions closely.

Photo couresy of Weeds of Nebraska and the Great Plains published by Nebraska Department of Agriculture

Welcome to Johnson County Secondary Red Sorrel Weed

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