In early summer, in many heavily fertilized forage meadows, the flower spikes of the sorrel rise up to a meter high. Between May and June, the flowers provide red splashes of color in the middle of the green meadow landscape.
When does the sorrel bloom and what significance does the color of the flowers have?
The flowering period of the sorrel extends from May to June, with its inconspicuous individual flowers rising up in long, reddish panicles. The red color of the flowers and leaves serves as an indicator of a high concentration of oxalic acid.
Sorrel flower and seeds
The rather inconspicuous individual flowers of the sorrel rise up from the plant in long, reddish panicles on a stem. If you want to permanently combat sorrel in the lawn, you should remove the flowers before the numerous seeds ripen and compost them away from the location. Since the seeds have a shelf life of up to three years and remain germinable even in manure, the sorrel spreads uncontrollably under suitable conditions.
Use the flower as an indicator
Even if sorrel is not directly poisonous when consumed, various factors indicate a high concentration of oxalic acid it contains:
- the formation of flowers
- the red color of the flowers
- the red color of the leaves
If possible, harvest fresh green leaves from the sorrel before the flowering period from May to July. Then the plants contain even less of the stomach-irritating oxalic acid.
Tips & Tricks
Removing sorrel flowers is important for plant population control, as controlling sorrel in lawns is already difficult.