Bloody Dock, Red Sorrel, Beautiful Edible Leaves, Hardy Perennial. Herb Sorrel Bloody Measure
Bloody Dock -Red sorrel is a knockout in the garden! This edible ornamental forms dense clumps of lime green leaves highlighted by deep red veins. Bloody Dock (Rumex sanguineus) is also known as Red-Veined Sorrel, Bloodwort, Wood Dock, Red Veined Dock.
The leaves of the Bloody Dock grow from a tight rosette. They are longer then they are wide, these are called lanceolate leaves.
The young leaves of the Bloody Dock plant can be cut and used like a lettuce. They are slightly sharp tasting though and a bit lemony.
Once the leaves are mature they get a bit too bitter but can be sautéed like spinach to make them palatable. Once sautéed they go very well with fish or eggs. Like spinach, sorrel contains oxalic acid which interferes with the absorption of nutrients like iron and calcium. It may cause mild stomach upset in those who are sensitive to it. Cooking breaks down some of the oxalic acid.
You can also grow it as a fast-growing annual in a salad garden or containers. The plants grow in tidy clumps that when mature are around twelve inches tall and eighteen inches wide. Once the plant is established it can be used as a cut and come again. If it's not pruned often it can get quite leggy and will produce small flowers.
Use bloody dock for its attractive foliage in borders or ornamental herb or vegetable gardens. Use it as an edging plant or an accent to contrast with light green or purple-leaved plants. It can even be grown as a marginal plant around ponds, in a bog, or in a water garden.
Direct sowing is an easy way to grow red veined sorrel. Plant the seeds in a sunny garden bed two to three weeks before the last spring frost. Space them two inches apart and bury them a scant quarter inch deep. Keep the soil evenly moist until the seeds germinate and the plants are about two inches tall. At that point they can be thinned to a foot apart. You can replant the thinnings in a different part of the garden or a container. Or, you can eat the baby plants.
Bloody dock is easy to grow from seed. It likes a evenly moist, well drained soil and partial shade. The red veins are already apparent when the plant is just 1/2" tall!
The key to growing bloody dock is to plant it in the right spot. Look for a site with full sun to partial shade and soil rich in organic matter. As a hardy perennial, it requires little ongoing care but water deeply every few weeks when the weather is hot and dry. You can also mulch around plants with straw or shredded leaves to hold soil moisture.
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