Wednesday 27 May 2020

Yellow Wood Sorrel

A pretty little plant has established itself in the gravel next to the AC unit.  The tiny yellow flowers love the sunshine but put themselves to bed if it's rainy, or at night. The leaves are shaped like shamrocks.  What could it be?
I consulted Professor Google and found that this is Yellow Wood Sorrel, oxalis stricta, a plant native to North America, and guess what.... it is edible!  Of course, I had to try it and chomped on some leaves, and it has a sour lemony flavour caused by the presence of oxalic acid.  It is sometimes called "sourgrass".  Both leaves, flowers and seedpods are edible.  A sprig or two of this plant can be used as a tasty addition to a salad, and the leaves can be used to make a flavoured drink that is similar in taste to lemonade.  Both the leaves and the flowers close up at night and open again in the morning.

Additional important note: It's grandson Isaac's birthday today... he is 11! Have a Happy Day, Isaac!
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6 comments:

  1. photowannabe27 May 2020 at 14:37

    Happy Birthday to Isaac today. 11 is an awesome number.
    I have seen sorrel growing around the damp roots of Redwood trees. Forgot they were edible.
    Sue

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  2. Elephant's Child27 May 2020 at 16:21

    Happy birthday to Isaac.
    And a big hooray to edible plants - which are also very pretty.

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  3. Marie Smith27 May 2020 at 19:52

    I took a photo of that plant in the woods here today. Thank you for identifying it.

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  4. Anvilcloud27 May 2020 at 20:01

    Enjoy your new salad fixins.

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  5. Boud28 May 2020 at 09:10

    I love this little plant. I see quite a few on my walks locally. There is sorrel soup, though I haven't tried it. But I can add it to salads along with the bittercress that grows near it. And shepherd's purse. Surprising how much food grows underfoot!

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  6. LL Cool Joe1 June 2020 at 06:41

    I'm not sure I'd be brave enough to eat the plant even if was edible incase I got it wrong and it turned out to be highly poisonous! It's very pretty though.

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