# Sheep's sorrel (*Rumex acetosella*) Sheep's sorrel is a small, leafy plant that grows close to the ground. Its leaves are shaped like little arrows and can be sour to taste, making it a fun plant to discover in nature! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 22 - **Habitat:** Grasslands ![Sheep's sorrel](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/20160508Rumex_acetosella.jpg&width=800) Photo: AnRo0002, CC0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:20160508Rumex_acetosella.jpg) ## Appearance The Sheep's sorrel has slender, reddish stems and distinctive arrow-shaped leaves. Its tiny, reddish-green flowers grow in tall, narrow clusters, often giving fields a rusty hue from a distance. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Caryophyllales - **Family:** Polygonaceae - **Genus:** Rumex ## Interesting facts - It's sometimes called "sour weed" because of its taste! - Its tangy leaves are sometimes used in salads or soups! - Sheep's sorrel has male and female flowers on different plants! - This plant is often a sign of acidic soil nearby! ## Special abilities - **Underground Navigator:** Sheep's sorrel can spread rapidly using underground stems called rhizomes, helping it colonize new areas quickly. - **Acid Master:** Sheep's sorrel has an amazing tolerance for acidic soils, allowing it to thrive where other plants struggle to grow. - **Flavor Defender:** Its leaves contain oxalic acid, giving them a tangy taste that helps deter some hungry animals from eating too much. - **Wind Weaver:** Sheep's sorrel releases vast amounts of tiny pollen into the wind for reproduction, not relying on insects for pollination. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 10-40 cm - **Spread:** 10-30 cm - **Bloom Season:** Late_spring, Summer - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** Mild - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Wind ## Ecological connections - **Eats:** Small Copper butterfly (*Lycaena phlaeas*) — larvae feed on its leaves - **Eats:** [Roe deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/roe-deer) (*Capreolus capreolus*) — deer graze on its foliage - **Eaten by:** Domestic sheep (*Ovis aries*) — a common food source for grazing sheep ## Traits - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Medicinal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/medicinal): Medicinal plants possess chemical compounds that can be used for therapeutic purposes to treat illnesses or maintain health. - [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption. - [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Rapid Growing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/rapid-growing): Rapid growing plants exhibit accelerated growth rates, quickly increasing in size and biomass within a short period. - [Pollinator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator): Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always check with an adult before tasting any wild plants. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Sheep's sorrel? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is Sheep's sorrel? 10-40 cm ### How wide does Sheep's sorrel spread? 10-30 cm ### When does Sheep's sorrel bloom? Late_spring, Summer ### Is Sheep's sorrel edible? Yes ### Is Sheep's sorrel toxic? Mild ### What is Sheep's sorrel's lifecycle? Perennial ### How is Sheep's sorrel pollinated? Wind ## Where to spot - [Gensburg-Markham Prairie](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/gensburg-markham-prairie) — Illinois, US · Nature Reserve - [University of Wisconsin–Madison Arboretum](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/university-of-wisconsin-madison-arboretum) — Wisconsin, US · Botanical Garden - [Long Island Game Farm](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/long-island-game-farm) — New York, US · Zoo - [Six Flags Wild Safari Adventure](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/six-flags-wild-safari-adventure) — New Jersey, US · Zoo - [Bradford Downtown Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bradford-downtown-historic-district) — Pennsylvania, US · Historic District - [Crater Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/crater-historic-district) — Hawaii, US · Historic District [View all places to see Sheep's sorrel](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/sheeps-sorrel) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Sheep's sorrel: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/sheeps-sorrel)