Shoutout to the nonny who suggested this–I’d been reading a lot about it already earlier in the week, so it’s an interesting bit of synchronicity.
Scientific name:Oxalis stricta
Common names: yellow wood sorrel, yellow oxalis, lemon clover
Appearance: Very similar to the common clover you find in any yard: smooth, heart-shaped leaves arranged in threes, medium green sometimes with a slight purple cast to the leaves and/or stems. Yellow flowers blooming all through summer, and somewhat conical, upright seedpods.
Range: Nearly everywhere in North America, and invasive in much of the rest of the world. Prefers sunlight, so look for it in fields and open areas rather than forests. As likely to crop up in your yard or sidewalk cracks as anywhere else.
Historical and medicinal uses: Slightly anodyne, slightly febrifuge, slightly diuretic, the leaves and stems of sorrel have been used to treat fevers and stomach issues, as well as in a poultice on small wounds. A tea of it has been used to stimulate salivation in the treatment of dry mouth, either alone or as a symptom of a larger condition. Can stimulate appetite in a sick person
Warning: never consume more than one cup of sorrel tea in a day. The oxalic acid can irritate your stomach and intestinal lining to cause diarrhea or bloody stools. You’ll be okay… but you don’t really want that. Not for use by anyone with pre-existing stomach lining issues, gout, rheumatic problems, etc.
Associations and Potential Uses: For “souring” love, removing crushes, etc: the heart-shaped leaves are incredibly sour, and I could see it representing unwanted love in a ritual. The flowers are hermaphroditic, too, which holds some poetic value. I’ve seen it associated with faeries and forest spirits, and it could be used in working with those. A worthwhile addition to luck charms too–to call back in thrice the luck you’ve put in.
Neon Tetra Aesthetic 