Wood sorrel
Oxalis stricta
Shamrock-like weed, lemony from oxalic acid. A nibble, not a spinach replacement. Not clover (no trifoliate serrations of Trifolium the same way — heart leaflets).
GROW → HARVEST → EAT → DRY → POWDER → CAPSULE → GUMMY — forms are not equivalent. Food first.
Identity
What it is
Shamrock-like weed, lemony from oxalic acid. A nibble, not a spinach replacement. Not clover (no trifoliate serrations of Trifolium the same way — heart leaflets).
Identification
Heart-shaped leaflets; sour taste; five-petaled yellow (or other) flowers depending on species.
Edible portions
- leaves and seed pods as a sour nibble
Absence of a portion from this list means it is not treated as food here — not that every other part is toxic.
Growing
- Climate. Weed annual/perennial
- Light. Sun to shade
- Soil. Anywhere
- Planting. Uninvited.
- Harvest. A pinch, not a potful.
Preparation and culinary uses
- Sour accent on a salad
Safety
- Oxalic acid: a nibble. Not a daily green bowl.
Next steps
Sources
- USDA PLANTS Database — taxonomy and range (verify current entries)
- No USDA FoodData Central nutrient profile is attached here. That is not a claim that the plant contains no nutrients.
- State cooperative extension growing guides — verify for your region
Honest incompleteness is preferred to fabricated completeness. If a section is missing, no record for it is attached here — not a claim that the plant lacks that characteristic, and not that it was omitted as a secret.
Internal quality class A. Strong page: distinctive plant facts plus practical growing or kitchen use.