Rumex scutatus
| Rumex scutatus | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 6 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 2' |
| Width: | 2' |
| Speed: | Moderate |
| Blooms: | Early Summer-Mid Summer |
| Native to: | |
| Shelter | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Rumex scutatus (common name: buckler-leaved sorrel)
Propagation: Seed - sow spring in a cold frame. Germination is rapid, the seedlings can be pricked out into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and are planted out in early summer[K].
It should also be possible to sow the seed in situ in mid spring[K].
Division in spring. Division is easy at any time in the growing season, though the plants establish better in the spring[K]. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found it best to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in a lightly shaded position in a cold frame, planting them out once they are well established in the summer.
Cultivation: A very easily grown plant, succeeding in most soils but preferring a moist moderately fertile well-drained soil in a sunny position[1]. Prefers a rather dry soil[2][3]. Established plants are drought tolerant[1]. Plants often self-sow freely in the garden[K].
Buckler-leafed sorrel is occasionally cultivated for its edible leaves[4][5]. There are some named varieties that have been selected for their ornamental value[6].
A food plant for the caterpillars of many species of butterfly[7].
Range: Europe. Occasionally naturalized in Britain[8].
Habitat: Old walls and mountain pastures[8][9].
Edibility: Leaves - raw or cooked[10][2][11][12][3][13]. A delicious lemon-like flavour[14], most people find them overpowering if used in quantity, but they make a delightful addition to the salad bowl and can also be used as a pot-herb[K]. This species has less acid leaves and so is often preferred to sorrel (R, acetosa)[6]. The leaves should be used sparingly due to the oxalic acid content[2].
Medicinal: The leaves are antiscorbutic, astringent, diuretic, laxative and refrigerant[2][6]. They are rarely used as a specifically medicinal plant.
Usage: The cultivar 'Silver Shield' makes a good, if rampant, ground cover beside paths and at the front of borders[6].
Although no specific mention has been made for this species, dark green to brown and dark grey dyes can be obtained from the roots of many species in this genus, They do not need a mordant[15].
Pollinators: Wind
Notes: We could supply this in the next catalogue.
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Wind: Tolerates strong winds
Seed Ripens: Mid Summer-Late Summer
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: Plants can contain quite high levels of oxalic acid, which is what gives the leaves of many members of this genus an acid-lemon flavour. Perfectly alright in small quantities, the leaves should not be eaten in large amounts since the oxalic acid can lock-
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Vilmorin-Andrieux. The Vegetable Garden. Ten Speed Press.
- ↑ Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Bown, Deni. Royal Horticultural Society Encyclopaedia of Herbs and Their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, 1995.
- ↑ Carter, David. Butterflies and Moths in Britain and Europe. Pan, 1982.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.
- ↑ Phillips, Roger. Herbs. Pan Books, 1990.
- ↑ Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ Loewenfeld, Claire and Philippa Back. Britain's Wild Larder. David and Charles.
- ↑ Hylton, Josie and William Holtom. Complete Guide to Herbs. Rodale Press, 1979.
- ↑ Organ, John. Rare Vegetables for Garden and Table. Faber, 1960.
- ↑ Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ Grae, Ida. Nature's Colors. MacMillan Publishing, 1974.