Common Sorrel
Common Sorrel (Rumex acetosa), Cornton, Stirling, May 9 2026
A clump-forming perennial with oblong, arrow‑shaped leaves (leaves sometimes present year‑round); tufted semi‑rosette of basal leaves; upper stem tinged red; and flowers May to June.
Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland (BSBI) – Plant Atlas
Common Sorrel (Rumex acetosa); note here the green buds and the partial emergence of some red flowers; Cornton, Stirling, May 9 2026
Common Sorrel (Rumex acetosa); note the two pointed basal lobes of the leaf pictured, that clasp the main stem of the plant (circled in yellow); Cornton, Stirling, May 20 2026
Common Sorrel (Rumex acetosa); note the small reddish flowers bunched together in whorls on branched / unbranched flower spikes; Cornton, Stirling, May 20 2026
Common Sorrel (Rumex acetosa), Cornton, Stirling, May 20 2026
This is a common and adaptable grassland plant that does well in a variety of conditions (moist to dry soils, neutral or mildly acidic, nutrient poor or moderately fertile, limited or mineral-rich). In sub-optimal meadow environments it has characteristics that support co-habitation helping to prevent any single plant species becoming dominant and therefore enabling a more species-rich community to establish (BSBI).