Plant Details

Oxalis acetosella

Wood sorrel

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Common names

46 names · 33 languages
EnglishYour language
  • common woodsorrel[2]
  • cuckoo's-meat[2]
  • European wood-sorrel[2]
+2 more namesShow fewer names
  • Wood sorrel
  • Wood-sorrel[1][2]
Other languages (32)
Dutch
  • Witte klaverzuring[2]
French
  • oseille des bois[2]
  • oxalide des bois[2]
  • Oxalis des bois
+2 more namesShow fewer names
  • pain-de-coucou[2]
  • Surelle[2]
Belarusian
  • Кісліца звычайная[2]
Bulgarian
  • Обикновено киселиче[2]
Catalan
  • pa de cucut de bosc[2]
Chinese (Simplified)
  • 白花酢浆草[2]
Chinese (Traditional)
  • 木酢漿草[2]
Czech
  • šťavel kyselý[2]
Danish
Estonian
  • harilik jänesekapsas[2]
Faroese
  • skarðssýrusmæra[2]
Finnish
  • ketunleipä[2]
  • käenkaali[2]
  • metsäkäenkaali[2]
German
Hungarian
  • erdei madársóska[2]
Irish
Italian
  • Acetosella dei boschi[2]
Japanese
  • コミヤマカタバミ[2]
Korean
  • 애기괭이밥[2]
Latvian
  • Meža zaķskābene[2]
Lithuanian
  • Paprastasis kiškiakopūstis[2]
Norwegian
  • gjøkesyre[2]
Polish
  • Szczawik zajęczy[2]
Portuguese
Romanian
  • Măcrișul iepurelui[2]
Russian
  • Кислица обыкновенная[2]
Slovak
  • Kyslička obyčajná[2]
Slovenian
  • navadna zajčja deteljica[2]
Spanish
  • aleluya[2]
  • vinagrera blanca[2]
Swedish
Turkish
  • Ekşiyonca[2]
Ukrainian
  • Квасениця звичайна[2]
  • Щавух заячий[2]
Welsh
  • Suran y coed[2]
Sources & name notes (2)

Names recorded in our plant catalogue and botanical sources, grouped by language. Usage can vary by region.

Numbered references identify names recorded by an external source. Other names are from our plant catalogue.

[1] Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20 — Oxalis acetosella L. ↗

Common names from World Plants, version 26.05, reproduced in Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20. License: CC BY.

Source records
  • Wald-Sauerklee (DE) — VernacularName.tsv, line 160275; taxon 6TFBM.
  • Wood-sorrel (EN) — VernacularName.tsv, line 160276; taxon 6TFBM.
[2] Oxalis acetosella — iNaturalist taxon names ↗

Community-curated iNaturalist taxonomy; common-name attestation, not an independent botanical determination.

Source records
  • European wood-sorrel — results[0].names[1]; taxon id 69624; Oxalis acetosella.
  • wood-sorrel — results[0].names[2]; taxon id 69624; Oxalis acetosella.
  • Wald-Sauerklee — results[0].names[3]; taxon id 69624; Oxalis acetosella.
  • pa de cucut de bosc — results[0].names[4]; taxon id 69624; Oxalis acetosella.
  • Waldsauerklee — results[0].names[5]; taxon id 69624; Oxalis acetosella.
  • Кислица обыкновенная — results[0].names[6]; taxon id 69624; Oxalis acetosella.
  • käenkaali — results[0].names[7]; taxon id 69624; Oxalis acetosella.
  • oseille des bois — results[0].names[8]; taxon id 69624; Oxalis acetosella.
  • oxalide des bois — results[0].names[9]; taxon id 69624; Oxalis acetosella.
  • pain-de-coucou — results[0].names[10]; taxon id 69624; Oxalis acetosella.
  • harsyra — results[0].names[11]; taxon id 69624; Oxalis acetosella.
  • common woodsorrel — results[0].names[12]; taxon id 69624; Oxalis acetosella.
  • cuckoo's-meat — results[0].names[13]; taxon id 69624; Oxalis acetosella.
  • šťavel kyselý — results[0].names[14]; taxon id 69624; Oxalis acetosella.
  • harilik jänesekapsas — results[0].names[15]; taxon id 69624; Oxalis acetosella.
  • 木酢漿草 — results[0].names[16]; taxon id 69624; Oxalis acetosella.
  • Skovsyre — results[0].names[17]; taxon id 69624; Oxalis acetosella.
  • Witte klaverzuring — results[0].names[18]; taxon id 69624; Oxalis acetosella.
  • vinagrera blanca — results[0].names[19]; taxon id 69624; Oxalis acetosella.
  • aleluya — results[0].names[20]; taxon id 69624; Oxalis acetosella.
  • Обикновено киселиче — results[0].names[21]; taxon id 69624; Oxalis acetosella.
  • gjøkesyre — results[0].names[22]; taxon id 69624; Oxalis acetosella.
  • コミヤマカタバミ — results[0].names[23]; taxon id 69624; Oxalis acetosella.
  • Acetosella dei boschi — results[0].names[24]; taxon id 69624; Oxalis acetosella.
  • Paprastasis kiškiakopūstis — results[0].names[25]; taxon id 69624; Oxalis acetosella.
  • metsäkäenkaali — results[0].names[26]; taxon id 69624; Oxalis acetosella.
  • Szczawik zajęczy — results[0].names[27]; taxon id 69624; Oxalis acetosella.
  • Aleluia — results[0].names[28]; taxon id 69624; Oxalis acetosella.
  • Seamsóg — results[0].names[29]; taxon id 69624; Oxalis acetosella.
  • 白花酢浆草 — results[0].names[30]; taxon id 69624; Oxalis acetosella.
  • 애기괭이밥 — results[0].names[31]; taxon id 69624; Oxalis acetosella.
  • skarðssýrusmæra — results[0].names[32]; taxon id 69624; Oxalis acetosella.
  • Кісліца звычайная — results[0].names[33]; taxon id 69624; Oxalis acetosella.
  • navadna zajčja deteljica — results[0].names[34]; taxon id 69624; Oxalis acetosella.
  • Surelle — results[0].names[35]; taxon id 69624; Oxalis acetosella.
  • erdei madársóska — results[0].names[36]; taxon id 69624; Oxalis acetosella.
  • Meža zaķskābene — results[0].names[37]; taxon id 69624; Oxalis acetosella.
  • Квасениця звичайна — results[0].names[38]; taxon id 69624; Oxalis acetosella.
  • Щавух заячий — results[0].names[39]; taxon id 69624; Oxalis acetosella.
  • Măcrișul iepurelui — results[0].names[40]; taxon id 69624; Oxalis acetosella.
  • ketunleipä — results[0].names[41]; taxon id 69624; Oxalis acetosella.
  • Kyslička obyčajná — results[0].names[42]; taxon id 69624; Oxalis acetosella.
  • Suran y coed — results[0].names[43]; taxon id 69624; Oxalis acetosella.
  • Ekşiyonca — results[0].names[44]; taxon id 69624; Oxalis acetosella.

General information

Scientific name: Oxalis acetosella
Accepted name (Kew): Oxalis acetosella L. View name reference ↗

Accepted in the cited Kew taxonomic treatment.

Sources [1] [2]
Botanical family: Oxalidaceae

Kew's family placement for the genus Oxalis (WCVP v16).

Sources [1]
Also known as: Wood sorrel
Images: Google Images

Plant characteristics

Layer: Herbaceous, Vegetable, Ground cover
Catalogue size class: Small
Height: 0.10 m
Spread: 0.30 m
Growth rate: Fast
Foliage: None

Growing conditions

USDA hardiness: 3-7
Soil moisture:
Moist
Soil:
Sand (light) Loam (medium) Clay (heavy)
pH:
Acidic Neutral Alkaline
Light:
Shade, Partial shade, Full sun

Uses

Edible parts:
Leaves, Flowers, Stems
Edibility rating:
(3)
Medicinal rating:
(2)
Functions:
Ground cover

Description

Leaves can be eaten both raw and cooked and have a delicious, lemony flavor. You can make a refreshing drink from them or add them to salads, soups, sauces, and so on. However, it is important to use the leaves in moderation, as they can be toxic in large amounts. The flowers can be eaten raw and make a decorative addition to salads. In addition, the dried plant can be used as a coagulating agent for plant-based milk.

Harvest

Harvest starts: 01/05
Harvest ends: 30/09

Sources and references

References for the information marked with source numbers on this page.

Sources checked
  1. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew World Checklist of Vascular Plants, version 16, extracted 4 June 2026
    Supports: Botanical familyTaxonomy
    Relevant sections
    • Botanical family: WCVP v16, wcvp_names.csv row 121995; name ID 2397716; Oxalis L.. Family column.
    • Taxonomy: WCVP v16, wcvp_names.csv row 115547; name ID 2394737; Oxalis acetosella L..

    Source checked on .

    Source data licence: CC BY 3.0.

  2. Catalogue of Life Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20 — Oxalis acetosella

    Taxonomic data from World Plants, version 26.05, reproduced in Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20.

    Supports: Taxonomy
    Relevant sections
    • Taxonomy: COL 2026-08-20, NameUsage.tsv line 2368722, ID 6TFBM: Oxalis acetosella L. (accepted).

    Source checked on .