Wild Sorrel
Wild Sorrel in the irish woodland
From the Middle of April until the Summer many of Irelands wood-land floors come to life with lots of different plants, Wild Sorrel is one if these that can be fully enjoyed. It can be picked and eaten on your walk or collected and taken home for you fridge.
The leafs of this plant can add to any meal that you are preparing. I love the moment when I first see wild sorrel coming out, its the start of the woodlands bursting into life after a long cold winter.
This web page has a great discription… http://www.wildflowersofireland.net/plant_detail.php?id_flower=243
“Carpeting old, undisturbed woodlands in spring, this pretty downy perennial also grows on moss-covered trees and shady walls and is widespread throughout the country. Each pretty white five-petalled bell-shaped flower (10 – 15 mm) is held solitarily on a stem which comes directly from the roots. The petals are lined with a tracery of pink veins through to the golden centre of the flower. The leaves are trifoliate, each leaflet heart-shaped and these fold up towards late afternoon or in rain as do the fragile flowers. They have a sharp taste of oxalic acid. This flower blooms from April to June, is a native plant and belongs to the family Oxalidaceae.
Also known as Wood Shamrock and Wood Sour, the leaves of this plant were used to make an ointment by early herbalists. Some people eat these leaves in salads or soups but beware, as large doses may cause oxalate poisoning. “
Nigel Borrington 
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