🌿 When to Plant Sorrel
Tart lemon flavor; perennial; harvest young leaves; remove flower stalks to prevent bolting
📅 Planting Calendar by USDA Zone
Sorrel is a cool-season crop — plant it around your last spring frost, and you can often start it earlier indoors or sow again for a fall harvest. Find the exact start-indoors, transplant, and direct-sow dates for your USDA zone in the table below.
Select your zone to highlight your dates. All dates are calculated from each zone's average frost dates — see how we calculate them.
| Zone | Last Frost | Start Indoors | Transplant | Direct Sow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 2A | May 30 | Apr 18 | May 16 | May 2 |
| Zone 3B | May 15 | Apr 3 | May 1 | Apr 17 |
| Zone 4A | May 8 | Mar 27 | Apr 24 | Apr 10 |
| Zone 4B | May 1 | Mar 20 | Apr 17 | Apr 3 |
| Zone 5A | Apr 25 | Mar 14 | Apr 11 | Mar 28 |
| Zone 5B | Apr 18 | Mar 7 | Apr 4 | Mar 21 |
| Zone 6A | Apr 21 | Mar 10 | Apr 7 | Mar 24 |
| Zone 6B | Apr 10 | Feb 27 | Mar 27 | Mar 13 |
| Zone 7A | Apr 5 | Feb 22 | Mar 22 | Mar 8 |
| Zone 7B | Mar 28 | Feb 14 | Mar 14 | Feb 28 |
| Zone 8A | Mar 20 | Feb 6 | Mar 6 | Feb 20 |
| Zone 8B | Mar 12 | Jan 29 | Feb 26 | Feb 12 |
| Zone 9A | Feb 28 | Jan 17 | Feb 14 | Jan 31 |
| Zone 9B | Feb 15 | Jan 4 | Feb 1 | Jan 18 |
| Zone 10A | Feb 1 | Dec 21 | Jan 18 | Jan 4 |
| Zone 10B | Jan 15 | Dec 4 | Jan 1 | Dec 18 |
| Zone 11A | Jan 1 | Nov 20 | Dec 18 | Dec 4 |
Sorrel is an underused perennial herb with a sharp, lemony flavor. It’s one of the first edible greens to emerge each spring.
Top Growing Tips
- Perennial in most zones; dies back in winter, returns reliably
- Young leaves are mildest; larger leaves get more intensely sour
- Remove flower stalks promptly to prevent bolting and keep leaves coming
- Add to soups, egg dishes, and sauces for bright lemony flavor
- High in oxalic acid — eat in moderation, especially if prone to kidney stones
Companion Planting
Good companions: strawberries, onions
Avoid planting near: High-pH soil companions
Harvest Timeline
Year-round in mild climates; harvest young outer leaves from established plants
Growing sorrel in your region?
These dates come from your zone's frost windows. For the full month-by-month plan — succession sowing, variety picks, and timing tuned to your climate, not just your zone — our regional vegetable-gardening guides cover your area start to finish.
Find your regional growing guide