Red Sorrel, Sheep Sorrel
Rumex acetosella L.
Polygonaceae (Smartweed Family)
▲ ▼ non-flowering shoots
▲ flowering stem
▲ base of flowering stem
▲ inflorescence
▲ stem leaves
▲ ▼ colony of flowering plants
▲ colony of flowering plants
▲ creeping roots
Red sorrel:
· a low-growing, perennial member of the smartweed family with creeping roots
· has arrow-shaped leaves, grows 4-8" tall
· inflorescences golden to reddish, similar to curly or pale dock to which it is related, but only 6-18” tall
· commonly found in acid, low-fertility lawns, pastures, roadsides, waste areas; usually in areas of poor drainage—a good indicator weed for acid soils
· control: post-emergent herbicides, neutral pH, good soil fertility, shading