When eaten the leaves flowers and seeds have been described to have a sour taste and are edible in small doses.

Rumex hastatulus is dioecious, with separate male and female plants.

[5] Despite being known to be poisonous[1] Rumex hastatulus has been commonly used in small doses in different types of salads in parts of and soups.

While the culinary uses for the plant are limited due to it being known to cause nausea stomach cramps and headaches in large portions it is at times used in France as a form of "sorrel soup".

The plant is also commonly used to study due to its unique genetic structure.