This North American introduction looks quite like other yellow sorrels such as Oxalis corniculata (Yellow-sorrel) in that it has yellow flowers, green but often brownish leaves and upright, explosive seed pods. The biggest difference between these two in my experience is that O. stricta is as its name suggests upright but O. corniculata is a largely procumbent plant.

Although it is a troublesome weed and like many of this genus difficult to eradicate from your garden, it is edible and the leaves, flowers and even the unripe seed pods are edible sources of vitamin C.

O. stricta is quite common in England and Wales but records become fewer as you go north and there is little in Scotland. In Ireland it is restricted largely to the north.

Redbrook village, Gloucestershire 6th September 2005

Added on September 17th 2005, updated January 25th 2011, updated 27th January 2013