IDENTIFICATION
Annual or perennial.
Sheep sorrel has small flowers in long, narrow rows at the ends
of stalks - male flowers are orange-yellow, and female red-orange, borne
on separate plants. Leaves, which are mostly arrow-shaped with lobes
pointing outward, have a distinctive sour taste. Thread-like, slender
rhizomes aid the spread. Mature plants are 15 - 30 cm tall.
DAMAGE
Sheep sorrel infests meadows and pastures, and can result in forage
seeding failures on soils where it has a lot of seed in the ground. Heavy
infestations may inhibit re-establishment of native species.
HABITAT
In British Columbia, sheep sorrel is found in cropland, gardens,
lawns, pastures, roadsides, meadows, and disturbed areas. It occurs in
all agricultural regions, but it is most common in southern BC.
SPREAD
Sheep sorrel is spread by seeds on the wind, in water, and vehicles,
and by creeping rootstalks. These rhizomes easily re-establish after being
broken up.
