IME red sorrel is normally grown as an annual. Sometimes the plant is listed as a biennial or tender perennial since, in tropical climates, it can live for more than a year but it normally goes to seed and dies the second year.

Dave

If Red Sorrel is the same as Rumex acetelosa it is a tough perennial in my climate and I have no idea why it would droop. I just trim it back in the autumn to tidy it up and it returns year after year. Have you checked that there's nothing nibbling the roots? Has it been exceptionally hot?

If there is another 'red sorrel' which is tropical can you give its botanical name, digdirt? I've not come across it. We're not talking about red orach are we?

Sure. Red sorrel, Hibiscus sabdariffa (aka Roselle, Maple Leaf Hibiscus, Florida Cranberry, Jamaican Tea, etc.) grown for culinary and medicinary use. Wrong one maybe?

Dave

If it's Rumex, my guess would be it's too hot. Even in our cool Northern summers of 2b, it doesn't grow as well as it does in the spring.
Is the soil mulched?

Would red sorrel be the same as bloody dock? I try to make sure my sorrel gets some shade in the afternoons but even then, it does not look good in the summer.

The fun things we learn here, roselle is now definitely going on my list for next year.

Here is a link that might be useful: Bloody dock

Aha - the common name problem. If you Google red sorrel you get Rumex acetosella (sorry, typo in my first reply), (not the same as Bloody Dock which is Rumex sanguineus var sanguineus.) If the OP bought the plants to make Sorrel soup then they should have been Rumex acetosella. If they bought Hibiscus then it's not the right one for Sorrel soup.

I also grow the Hibiscus sorrel (Jamaican sorrel). The leaves are edible when cooked but they have a much stronger, full-bodied flavour when compared to regular sorrel. It tastes like a mix of cranberries and spinach. Jamaican sorrel pairs well with other strong-tasting ingredients where a sour taste is needed, while regular sorrel pairs well with potatoes, beets and other greens.

Jamaican sorrel is also a good substitute for sorrel for those with kidney issues, because regular sorrel is very high in oxalic acid.

I am so sorry to cause such confusion. I usually give Latin names...must have been tired. It is R.Sanguineus, but I appreciate the information. I am growing roselle hisbiscus seeds for the first time, and now I must have some Rumex acetosella as well. I guess it has been too hot too soon and I overestimated the rain. Thanks all.

Hi again topsie - if you want to make classic sorrel soup you definitely need R acetosella, R acetosa or R scutatus, ie Sorrels, not docks. Sorrels are much more tender and have the requisite acidic tang. For a fish sauce you can just place the leaves in a pan over heat and they will effectively 'melt' into a tangy sauce.

With cooler temps and alot of rain, my sorrel sprang back with a lot of new growth.

I had thought you only ate in spring, but does anyone think this new growth would be good to make the classic french soup?