Dock is a weed in the Polygonaceae family of plants, also known as sorrel. Other plants in this family include buckwheat.

Young dock leaves can be harvested and eaten in soups and salads but they contain oxalic acid which can affect people with kidney problems.

Oxalic acid from picking dock leaves can also cause skin irritation.

There are no defined allergens for dock plants as yet, but as a related plant buckwheat contains 2S seed storage proteins, 7S seed storage proteins and oleosin proteins. This should be considered if you react to any of these allergens and are intending to eat dock leaves.

Dock pollen is present in the UK between May and September which mirrors the pollen season for grasses. This makes it more difficult without allergy testing to determine which pollen you are allergic to.

An allergy to dock pollen is strongly associated with seasonal allergic rhinitis (hayfever).

A dock pollen allergy is also linked to asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis and atopic dermatitis.

There are currently no defined allergens for dock pollen, so no known cross reactivity.

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