Wood sorrel is an edible wild plant with a wonderful lemony, tart flavor. We use it often as another natural addition to salads. In Dr. James Duke’s Handbook of Edible Weeds, he notes that the Native American Kiowa people chewed wood sorrel to alleviate thirst on long trips, the Potawatomi cooked it with sugar to make a dessert, the Algonquin considered it an aphrodisiac, the Cherokee ate wood sorrel to alleviate mouth sores and a sore throat, and the Iroquois ate wood sorrel to help with cramps, fever and nausea.
The fleshy, juicy edible tubers of the oca have long been cultivated for food in Colombia and elsewhere in the northern Andes mountains of South America.
GROWING INSTRUCTIONS
Please Note:
All plants will go through varying degrees of shock depending upon the plant. Most or all of the leaves will be removed before shipping to reduce moisture loss. Our live plants are sent in root permeable grow bags. These will give your plants the best opportunity for a quick recovery after their long dark journey to you.
In Garden-
Dig a hole the size of the grow bag in good quality, loose, well draining garden soil. Do not remove the grow bag. Set bag into soil to the same depth as it was growing and pack the soil around the bag and water well... but gently, until roots have established and new growth is abundant.
Some protection from intense sunlight will help plants recover and slow transpiration through leaves and stems. Please see light recommendations for your particular plant.
In Container-
Set your plant on a bed of good quality, well draining potting or seedling mix in a pot an inch or two larger than the bag. Do not remove the grow bag. Lightly firm soil around roots and water lightly (DO NOT OVERWATER). Keep near a window without direct sunlight. Continue light watering until your plant exhibits a good amount of new growth. At this point, you may decide to enjoy as a houseplant near a sunny window or plant into your garden (please see ‘In Garden’ section above)
Our transplanting rule of thumb- 1” container to a 2-3” to a 4” to a 6” to a 9” etc. The point here is that plants undergoing new root development are more easily transitioned to their new container in smaller steps. The reason for this is the issue of overwatering. NEVER OVER WATER