A few years ago, on a trip to San Diego, I visited a garden where a docent was tidying up the herb section after winter. She asked if I had ever tasted French sorrel. I told her no, never having tasted any kind of sorrel at all. She broke off a leaf from a plant about a foot-high growing in a raised bed. She handed it to me to taste. “What do you think”, she asked. My response was an enthusiastic, “It's wonderful!” The taste was lemony tart. The texture was like lettuce. I was hooked.
When I got back home, I started my search for the plant. I didn't have to look far. Rose at Morningsun Herb Farm had it at the time. I put it in a container that has a reservoir with a container potting mix designed for vegetables in a location that gets about 6 hours of sun a day. Most winters it gets knocked down to just a few leaves and then it rebounds in the spring. It hasn't made it to the size of the one in the San Diego garden. This winter I forgot to give it any frost protection during the really cold spells. Then it was hit with a dozen “atmospheric rivers”. It continues to thrive on my neglect.
French sorrel, Rumex scutatus, is a perennial native of the Mediterranean. There are several kinds of sorrel, but this one is one of the tastier ones. It is a welcome producer in the early spring, when not many other herbs are available yet. The plant has a long tap root and likes a soil on the acidic side that is kept moist. It's recommended to divide it every 3 or 4 years. It can also be grown from seed. It will bolt sending up a flower spike when the weather warms up in late spring, early summer. If the spike isn't removed, lots of seeds from the flower spike will spread and germinate. It is wind-pollinated. By removing the flower spike, the plant will also maintain its vigor and its leaves their taste. The only problem I have had with it to date is leaf-miners. I just pluck those leaves and dump them in the trash. The best-tasting leaves are the smaller, newer ones. They are a great addition to salads and soups and a little can be used to substitute for spinach. It adds a tasty little punch to arugula salads. Just a little is all that is needed for the flavor, and since the plant contains oxalic acid (like spinach, beets, almonds, soy, potatoes and dates), only a small amount should be eaten at a time. It is a common culinary herb all over the Mediterranean region used to add lemony flavor and tartness. Even if you don't like lemon flavor all that much, consider growing it for its form. It grows in a rosette shape to usually about 6 to 8 inches tall and as wide making a pretty addition to the front of a vegetable or herb garden.