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