Sheep’s sorrel is a small, tufted

Perennials are plants that live for multiple years. They come in all shapes and sizes and fill our gardens with colourful flowers and ornamental foliage. Many are hardy and can survive outdoors all year round, while less hardy types need protection over winter. The term herbaceous perennial is used to describe long-lived plants without a permanent woody structure (they die back to ground level each autumn), distinguishing them from trees, shrubs and sub-shrubs.

Sheep’s sorrel is a UK native wildflower, found throughout the country on heathland, grassland, roadsides, sand dunes and shingle. It is a fantastic plant for wildlife, with the Biological Records Centre listing over 50 species of insect that use it as a food plant. These include beetles, true bugs, flies, butterflies and numerous moths. Sheep’s sorrel seeds are also eaten by ground-feeding birds such as chaffinches and thrushes.

How invasive is sheep’s sorrel? 

Do I need to get rid of sheep’s sorrel? 

No – allowing sheep’s sorrel to grow in a species-rich lawn, wildlife corner or less-cultivated area is a great way to attract wildlife and boost the biodiversity of your garden.   

And, as it supports a variety of wildlife, and has attractive flowers and seedheads, sheep’s sorrel is a great addition to wildflower meadows on dry, sandy or acidic soil. It grows well alongside oxeye daisies (Leucanthemum vulgare), bird vetch (Vicia cracca), betony (Betonica officinalis) and cornflowers (Centaurea cyanus) and is commonly sold by wildflower suppliers.

Sheep's sorrel adds reddish-brown plumes of colour to a meadow

What is the easiest way to kill sheep’s sorrel? 

If you have sheep’s sorrel growing where it is not wanted, there are several ways to remove it: 

• Hoe off seedlings in early spring – hoe on a warm, dry or windy day, so exposed roots dry out quickly. Hoeing minimises soil disturbance, preserving soil health. 
• Fork out established plants – use a hand fork to carefully lift the shallow, creeping roots from the soil, following each one to get as much root out as possible. As the roots are fragile and plants can regenerate from small sections, keep an eye out for regrowth and repeat as necessary. Within a lawn, re-seed any resulting bare patches. 
• Prevent seeding – control the spread of sheep’s sorrel by deadheading plants you wish to keep, or by removing plants before they set seed.    
• Discourage growth – if you have sheep’s sorrel growing among border plants that need feeding, try to avoid using acidifying nitrogen fertilisers such as sulphate of ammonia, as these lower soil pH and create the perfect conditions for sheep’s sorrel to thrive. Instead opt for poultry manure pellets as they won’t lower the pH of your soil.  
• Lime to reduce acidity – this will discourage sheep's sorrel and help to limit its spread. See our page on lime and liming.  
• Smother plants – cover with a layer of compostable material, such as cardboard, and then a layer about 20cm (8in) thick of organic matter, such as bark or wood chips. Alternatively, use a heavy grade biodegradable mulch matting. This will block light and prevent growth, causing the root system to die. Keep soil covered for a few years, topping up the mulch layer if necessary, to ensure this method is effective.

Should I use a weedkiller? 

No – as non-chemical control methods are effective, even if time-consuming, there is no need to use weedkillers.