green
Foraging Wood sorrel
Bright lemony leaves and yellow flowers (oxalis). A lovely sour garnish — use in moderation.
What to do with it
- Scatter leaves as a sour garnish
- Blend into a tangy sauce
- Steep into a lemonade-like tea
Ways to keep it
- Best fresh
- Sour-leaf vinegar
- Freeze into herb cubes
About Wood sorrel
Oxalis (UK: ok-SAH-liss, US: OK-sə-liss) is a large genus of flowering plants in the wood-sorrel family, Oxalidaceae, comprising over 550 species. The genus occurs throughout most of the world, except for the polar areas; species diversity is particularly rich in tropical Brazil, Mexico, and South Africa. Many of the species are known as wood-sorrels (also as wood sorrels or woodsorrels) as they have an acidic taste reminiscent of the sorrel proper (Rumex acetosa), which is not closely related. Some species are called yellow sorrels or pink sorrels after the colour of their flowers instead. Other species are colloquially known as false shamrocks, and some called sourgrasses. For the genus as a whole, the term oxalises is also used. Many plants in this genus contain oxalic acid; the acid being named after the genus Oxalis.
From Wikipedia.
Tree and plant locations come from Falling Fruit, a volunteer-run map of the urban harvest, used under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. This project is non-commercial. Locations are crowd-sourced and provided as-is — always confirm a plant's identity and that you're welcome to pick before foraging.
Photos and descriptions from Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons. Maps © OpenStreetMap contributors. Not affiliated with Falling Fruit, Wikimedia, or OpenStreetMap.