Oxalis acetosella
| Oxalis acetosella | |
| Light: |    |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 3 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Self Pollinated | |
| Height: | 0.3' |
| Width: | 1' |
| Speed: | Fast |
| Blooms: | Mid Spring-Late Spring |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Oxalis acetosella (common name: wood sorrel)
Propagation: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out in late spring or early summer.
Division in spring. Very easy, larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found that it is better to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a cold frame until they are well established before planting them out in late spring or early summer.
Cultivation: Prefers moist shady conditions and a humus rich soil in shade or dappled sunlight[1][2][3][4][5][6]. Dislikes very heavy and wet soils[7].
Plants are hardy to about -25°c[8].
A dainty woodland carpeter growing well in a woodland or wild garden[9][6].
When well sited the plants can run aggressively and also self-sow[10]. The plant flowers in early spring, but does not produce much fertile seed at this time. Most of the fertile seed is produced from cleistogamous flowers during the summer[7].
Range: Europe, including Britain, from Iceland south and east to Spain, N. and C. Asia to Japan.
Habitat: Moist woods, moorland and on shady rocks[8].
Edibility: Leaves - raw or cooked[11][12][13][5]. A delicious lemony flavour, the leaves make a refreshing, thirst-quenching munch and are also added to salads, soups, sauces etc[14]. This leaf should be used in moderation[1][15][2][16], see the notes above on toxicity.
Flowers - raw. A decorative addition to salads[K].
The dried plant can be used as a curdling agent for plant milks[17].
Medicinal: The fresh or dried leaves are anodyne, antiscorbutic, astringent, diuretic, emmenagogue, expectorant, febrifuge, irritant and stomachic[1][12][2][18]. A decoction is used in the treatment of fevers, both to quench the thirst and allay the fever[1]. Externally, the leaves are crushed and applied locally to dispel boils and abscesses, they also have an astringent affect on wounds[12]. When used internally, some caution is advised due to the oxalic acid content of the leaves[1], the plant is contra-indicated for people suffering from gastritis or a calculus condition[12].
Usage: The juice of the leaves removes iron mould stains from linen[19][17][20].
Plants can be grown as a ground cover in woodland or under the shade of shrubs[10]. They should be spaced about 45cm apart each way[10].
Pollinators: Bees, flies, self, cleistogamy
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: The leaves contain oxalic acid, which gives them their sharp flavour. Perfectly all right in small quantities, the leaves should not be eaten in large amounts since oxalic acid can bind up the body's supply of calcium leading to nutritional deficiency. Th
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Launert, Edmund. Edible and Medicinal Plants. Hamlyn, 1981.
- ↑ Triska, Jan. Encyclopaedia of Plants. Hamlyn, 1975.
- ↑ Vilmorin-Andrieux. The Vegetable Garden. Ten Speed Press.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Thompson, Robert. The Gardener's Assistant. Blackie and Son, 1878.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Phillips, Roger and Martyn Rix. Perennials - The Definitve Reference. Pan Books, 1991.
- ↑ Knight, F. P.. Plants for Shade. Royal Horticultural Society, 1980.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Thomas, Graham. Plants for Ground Cover. Everyman, 1990.
- ↑ Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 Chiej, Roberto. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald, 1984.
- ↑ Loewenfeld, Claire and Philippa Back. Britain's Wild Larder. David and Charles.
- ↑ Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ Mabey, Richard. Food for Free. Collins, 1974.
- ↑ Cooper, Marion. Poisonous Plants in Britain and their Effects on Animals and Man. The Stationery Office, 1984.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Freethy, Ron. From Agar to Zenery. The Crowood Press, 1985.
- ↑ Lust, John. The Herb Book. Bantam Books, 1983.
- ↑ Mabey, Richard. Plants with a Purpose. Fontana, 1979.
- ↑ Sowerby, John. The Useful Plants of Great Britain. 1862.