Red-Veined Sorrel
Red-Veined Sorrel is a vegetable in the Polygonaceae family. It grows best in full sun to part shade with medium moisture, and is listed for USDA zones 3-7. Plants reach harvest about 47–63 days after planting and sit about 12 inches apart.
Varieties
3 from Seeds Now, True Leaf Market & High Mowing · sorted by days to maturity▸Red Vein47–63 days
Direct sow; Grows well with containers; Grows well with raised beds; Matures in <90 days; Start indoors; Super easy to grow
Green leaf with red veins have a slightly tangy lemon flavor which adds zest to salads and is especially good with fish. The leaves grow up to 8" long and can also be cooked like spinach or even used in soups. Sure to be your new favorite. 55 days to maturity
View on Seeds Now ↗▸Red Veined47–63 days
Heirloom; Container; Perennial
Red Veined Sorrel Seeds. Non-GMO, Heirloom. 55 Days. Perennial. Rumex sanguineus. AKA: Spinach Dock or Narrow-leaved Dock. Tart leaves have lemony taste that some have likend to the flavor of Kiwi fruit or strawberry.
View on True Leaf Market ↗▸Red Veined Sorrel47–63 days
Annual; Gourmet ingredient; Bright flavor; Fast growing
Stunning, bright green, tangy leaves with highly contrasting, deep maroon stems and veins. Leaves are visually striking when mixed into a gourmet salad blend and offer a refreshingly sharp, citrus flavor. Plants are easy to grow and quick to mature. Best harvested as a microgreen, or at baby leaf stage for optimal tenderness. Succession plant for continual harvest. 43M seeds/oz. Rumex sanguineus
Growing notes: Red veined sorrel is a hardy perennial grown for its tangy, lemony leaves with striking red veins. Direct sow in early spring about 1/4 inch deep, or start indoors a few weeks before the last frost. Thin seedlings to about 8 inches apart in rows 12-18 inches apart. Grow in moist, well-drained soil in full sun to partial shade. Harvest young leaves for salads as a cut-and-come-again crop; baby leaf is ready in about 40 days and full size in about 55 days.
View on High Mowing ↗
Plant spacing
In a square-foot bed, space red-veined sorrel about 12 in apart — that fits 1 plant in each 1-foot square (1×1). Wider rows or containers space the same.
Plan your red-veined sorrel planting
Add red-veined sorrel to a free GardenDraft plan and get sow, transplant, and harvest dates computed for your ZIP code — with a drag-and-drop bed layout and reminders when it’s time to plant.
Start your free plan →At a glance
Storing & preserving
Most keep best refrigerated; storage crops prefer a cool, dry spot.
- Freeze: Blanch briefly, cool, then freeze — keeps color and texture.
- Can: Pressure-can low-acid vegetables; water-bath only pickled/acidified ones.
General home-preservation guidance — for tested processing times and safety, follow the National Center for Home Food Preservation.
Growing timeline
Care & troubleshooting— extension-sourced, with citations
When to feed, prune & water
Clean up debris and sanitize at season end
SanitationUnusual this time of year.
- Routine careRemove spent plants and fallen debrisstrong evidence — extension confidence
Pull and clear old plants, dropped fruit, and leaf litter at season end, since many pests and diseases overwinter in this debris; dispose of diseased material rather than composting it.
- Routine careClean tools, stakes, and cagesmoderate evidence — extension confidence
Wash and sanitize stakes, cages, and tools that touched diseased plants before storing or reusing them to avoid carrying pathogens into next season.
Something looks wrong?
Describe what you see on your red-veined sorreland we'll rank the likely causes — most likely first, least-invasive fix first.
Japanese beetles
Pestmoderate- CulturalHandpick into soapy water· every 1 days · ~4 wksstrong evidence — extension confidence
In early morning when beetles are sluggish, knock them into a bucket of soapy water; daily removal also reduces the scent that draws in more beetles. Skip the lure traps, which tend to attract more beetles than they catch.
- CulturalCover plants past bloommoderate evidence — extension confidence
On crops that have finished flowering and set fruit, drape a row cover or netting to keep beetles off without blocking pollination during bloom.
Slugs & snails
Pestmoderate- CulturalTrap, hand-pick at night, reduce cover· every 2 days · ~3 wksstrong evidence — extension confidence
Pick at night with a flashlight, set shallow beer traps, water in the morning so soil dries by dusk, and clear damp hiding spots.
- OrganicIron-phosphate bait - label use only· every 1 wk · ~3 wksmoderate evidence — extension confidence
Scatter a labeled iron-phosphate slug bait sparingly per the label; it's pet- and wildlife-safer than metaldehyde.
Aphids
Pestlow- CulturalBlast off with water· every 3 days · ~2 wksstrong evidence — extension confidence
Knock colonies off with a strong jet of water in the morning; repeat every few days. Light infestations rarely need more.
- OrganicInsecticidal soap - label use only· every 1 wk · ~3 wksmoderate evidence — extension confidence
For persistent colonies apply insecticidal soap to undersides per label. Avoid open flowers.