One of the more common native plants that is often considered a weed would be Yellow Wood Sorrell. And you’ve probably seen it somewhere! This little clover-looking plant with tiny yellow flowers is an excellent colonizer and ground cover, staying green until the temperature drops well below freezing. It is edible, but only in small quantities. And it has been called “one of the most troublesome weeds of the greenhouse, nurseries”, and I must agree with that statement. And while we love our native plants here, this one can have it’s place away from my flower beds and containers[1][2].
Yellow Wood Sorrell is a herbaceous perennial flower native to North America. Scientifically known as Oxalis stricta, it grows 3-12″ tall in full sun and moist to medium soil. An aggressive spreader, it will colonize disturbed or bare spots via seed (that it flings) and runners (rhizomes). From a distance it’s leaves resemble clover, and the tiny yellow flowers are visited by small halictid bees. While the seeds are eaten by birds, the leaves are eaten by several caterpillars and occasionally by deer.
If you’re finding your way to this article, it is likely a plant identification app sent you here. And it is even more likely that you are trying to rid a flower bed or lawn of this pesky weed. It is very difficult to eradicate from grass and flower beds.
In this article:
- Quick Reference
- Identification / Characteristics
- Controlling Sorrell
- Growing conditions
- Wildlife associations
- Where to buy
- Uses of Yellow Wood Sorrell
- Final thoughts
Quick Reference
| Scientific Name | Oxalis stricta |
| Common Name(s) | Yellow Wood Sorrell, Creeping Sorrell |
| Native Range, USDA Zone | North America, USDA Hardiness Zones 3-11 |
| Bloom Time | Spring-Fall |
| Bloom Duration, Color | 4-16 weeks, yellow |
| Height | 3″-12″ |
| Spacing / Spread | NA |
| Light Requirements | Full sun to part sun |
| Soil Types | Sandy loam to clay |
| Moisture | Most to slightly dry |
| Fauna Associations / Larval Hosts | Small bees, birds / hosts several moth larvae |
Native Range
Yellow Wood Sorrell is present in 44 of the lower 48 states, and many Canadian provinces[1][2]. That alone speaks to how adaptable it is in regards to growing conditions it will tolerate.
Identification and Characteristics
Stalk
Typically reaching 6″, but can grow up to 12″ tall, the stems are round and light green in color, with short white hairs.
Leaf
Alternate palmate compound leaves (trifoliate) occur along stems[3]. Individual leaflets are small, roughly 1/4″-1/2″(6-12 mm) wide and cordate or in shape with smooth margins[2]. They are green in color, and the leaflets nearly overlap making it seem like one large leaf.
And interesting feature to note on Yellow Wood Sorrell leaves and flowers is that they will close up at night or in the shade, and then open back up in sun. The leaves in particular will fold and droop down.
Flower
Flowers are small, roughly 1/4″ diameter (6 mm) with five yellow petals[2][3]. There will be 10 stamens in the center surrounding a pistil.
Now, the center of the flower holds a secret only visible to bees – it will reflect UV radiation creating a ‘target’ or bullseye for bees to land. And hitting the target will reward them with nectar and pollen.
Root
The root system of Yellow Wood Sorrell is a taproot, but it will also produce rhizomes. Rhizomes are underground stems that can also make fibrous roots. But these rhizomes are what make this plant so aggressive in lawns and flower beds – the rhizomes creep horizontally underground and then make new sprouts in bare spots.
Controlling Sorrell
Sorrell can be controlled by pulling by hand, or spraying with a herbicide. It is relatively easy to remove isolated plants anywhere. In flower gardens, it is generally easy to remove by hand as well under any circumstance. But in a lawn, herbicide is the best way to control (assuming you don’t kill off grass).
Pulling by hand
Yellow Wood Sorrell roots are a combination of tap root and rhizomes. These rhizomes are underground stems that spread horizontally, also known as runners. And fortunately for the plant’s survival, but unfortunate for us is that the above ground stems will snap off if pulled in compacted or dry soil. This leaves the relatively thick taproot (in proportion to the overall plant) underground, and will allow it to resprout from stored energy within the root.
Pulling sorrell is most effective in flower beds and gardens. It is much harder to do in a lawn, as the underground runners will travel between and under patches of grass, and are difficult to remove without digging up a lot of turf. But to effectively pull Wood Sorrell by hand, you will want to make sure the soil is moist before you begin. It also helps to use a garden fork or other device to loosen the area before you begin pulling. This will reduce the chances of the stems snapping off. But nonetheless, make sure you get all of the root! Any chunks of root left behind will resprout and you will be back, trying to pull it in a couple weeks.
Herbicides
Readily available herbicides that are effective at killing sorrell would be glyphosate (round up), and triclopyr. Glyphosate will kill the root, but it will also kill everything else. So, unless you can be very careful in your spraying, you should probably use triclopyr. Triclopyr is a herbicide that is sold as ‘brush killer’ (it’s effective for killing stumps too). But certain mixtures of this can be used on a lawn, and it is effective.
Other herbicides that are very effective at killing Yellow Wood Sorrell at all growth stages would be Sureguard 51WDG (flumioxazin) and Marengo 74SC (indaziflam).
Is Yellow Wood Sorrell invasive?
Yellow Wood Sorrell is invasive in many parts of the world, as it is present in Europe and Asia. In North America, where it is native it can’t be ‘invasive’ by definition. However, it is very aggressive in that it can spread by seed and rhizomes. So, once it establishes itself it will be difficult to rid yourself of it.
I have this plant growing in my flower beds, lawn, and containers. It is a nuisance, and I remove them periodically, but I don’t necessarily believe I will ever have it removed 100%. I have a thick seed bank and my surrounding forest also has the plant.
Growing Conditions
Any plant that can be considered ‘weedy’ will often be very adaptable in it’s growing conditions, and Yellow Woodsorrell is quite adaptable. While it’s preference is for full sun and slightly moist to slightly dry conditions. It can tolerate a variety of soil textures from sandy or gravely loam to clay loam.
How to Grow Yellow Wood Sorrell from Seed
The seeds of Yellow Wood Sorrell are very tiny, and require light to germinate. But other than that there are no pretreatment requirements. So, scatter the very tiny seeds on the surface of bare soil and keep them moist by misting.
Wildlife associations
Pollinators
The primary pollinators of Yellow Wood Sorrel are small bees of the Halictid family, pollinating flies, and smaller butterflies. There are several insects that will also feed on the foliage including grasshoppers and aphids.
Deer and Rabbits
The strong flavored foliage is not preferred by deer and rabbits, however they may browse on young tender leaves.
Where to buy seeds
It is often difficult to buy seeds for plants that are considered weedy. However, I did manage to locate a few sources of seed for this particular species of plant. The prices seem to vary wildly, but here are two companies selling seed (here & here). There are also a variety of sellers on Etsy, but I would be cautious of buying seed from random people on the internet.
Uses of Yellow Wood Sorrell
Garden Uses
This plant doesn’t really have garden uses, at least for most people. You could use it as a colonizing/naturalizing plant in bare or wild areas. At a minimum, it is a native whose presence should help reduce or prevent the incidence rate of non-native species like Japanese Stiltgrass. You know, if the Yellow Wood Sorrell is growing on a patch of ground then it’s very existence should prevent the invaders.
Companion Plants
So I’m not really going to list companion plants, since this isn’t a typical garden or decorative flower. But I can tell you that it does wonderful growing among my wild strawberry patch.
Culinary uses
I need to preface this section by telling you that the leaves and flowers contain Oxalic Acid, which is toxic in large quantities[2][3][4]. So take that into consideration before consuming. But, the leaves and flowers have a sour, citrus-like flavor as well as being rich in vitamin C[5] and antioxidents[6]. Steeping the leaves in warm water will remove some of the acid. And combined with sugar and water, you can make a beverage similar to lemonade.
Leaves can also be added as a garnish or salad topping. And some people will make a tea from the leaves. Hikers have also been known to chew on the leaves for a simple refreshing taste.
Native American uses
There are 20 uses of Yellow Wood Sorrell by 8 different Native American Tribes. Besides food, various parts of the plant and root could be used to treat fever, nausea or cramps, and a poultice could be made to treat swellings. The entire plant could be boiled to create yellow or orange dyes[7]. And it had ceremonial uses to ward off witches.
Final Thoughts
Yellow Wood Sorrell is a native plant that has it’s place in our ecosystem, and serves pollinators and birds alike. But, it is a pesky and persistent weed in the garden that is difficult to remove once established. Nonetheless, it is a curious little plant that is quite interesting when examined up close.
Find more native plants here
References:
[1] – Oxalis stricta, USDA NRCS. Accessed 18JAN2025
[2] – Saha, D, Lindberg, H. Identifying and managing yellow woodsorrel (Oxalis stricta L.) in nurseries and greenhouses. MSU Extension Bulletin E3440, Michigan State Extension. 2020. Accessed 19JAN2025.
[3] – Hall, Alan. The wild food trailguide, New York : Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1976, pp244.
[4] – Perkins, William. Chestnuts, galls, and dandelion wine : useful wild plants of the Boston Harbor Islands, Halifax, Mass. : Plant Press, 1982, pp128
[5] – Shad, A. A., H. U. Shah, and J. Bakht. “Ethnobotanical assessment and nutritive potential of wild food plants.” J Anim Plant Sci 23.1 (2013): 92-99.
[6] – Dzinyela, Raphael, Abdul-Nasir Abdul-Baasit, and Abdul Razak Alhassan. “Evaluation of the antioxidant activity of crude whole plant methanolic extract of Oxalis stricta Linn.” American Journal of Applied Chemistry 9.2 (2021): 43-48.
[7] – Oxalist stricta L. North American Ethnobotany Database. Accessed 19JAN2025.
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