Profusion sorrel
Answered by: Conrad Richter
Question from: Cheryl Long
Posted on: April 16, 2010

I am writing an article about sorrel and am hoping you can answer some questions for me:

Happy to do so! Thanks for writing.

What do you know about the background of Profusion sorrel--who found it, how does it compare in flavor and performance to seed-grown varieties, etc.

We introduced the variety originally. The name "Profusion" is a registered trademark of Richters. We reserve all rights to the use of the name for commercial sale of the variety.

The variety was discovered by a customer of ours who gave it to us to market about 20 years ago. If you need the exact year when we introduced the variety I can check our records. I don’t have them ready at hand otherwise I would check them now.

It is superior to seed grown varieties because it does not develop the bitterness and tough texture that seed grown varieties do when they flower and go to seed. Also, the leaves are wider, more succulent and more tender than typical seed grown material. We never compared yields quantitatively, but our impressions are that yields are comparable to seed varieties. Really, the only disadvantage of the variety is that it must be propagated by division, which makes it more expensive for commercial growers to establish. But in every other way, the variety is superior.

Also, I should mention, some people are irritated by the many sorrel seedlings that sometimes show up around the seed grown plants. Seed grown sorrels are not hard to control and thus are not "weedy" but this is obviously not an issue with Profusion.

When and how is the best time to divide it if someone wants to create more plants for their garden?

The plant can be divided successfully any time, from spring to fall. For both overwintering success and greater sized material to divide, it is probably best to divide in summer.

What are your favorite ways to use sorrel in salads or in recipes?

Sorrel is one of those herbs we love to use in very simple ways. Just adding the leaves to salads or sandwiches is for us a treat. Because the herb is perennial it is a treat to be able to pick leaves from spring to early winter whenever we think of it. I personally don’t have the time to bother with sorrel soup or other cooked dishes -- I just prefer sorrel fresh.

The description on your site for Profusion is confusing--it mentions removing the flower stalks but then says Profusion does not flower -- should the sentence about removing the stalks have been deleted for Profusion’s description?

Yes, that was an error. By mistake some general comments about sorrel were added to the Profusion description. That has been corrected. Thanks for bringing the error to our attention.

Hope that this helps. Let me know if you need anything else.

Back to Growing Herbs | Q & A Index

Copyright © 1997-2024 Otto Richter and Sons Limited. All rights reserved.