Oxalis Species, Shamrock, Windowbox Wood Sorrel

This plant is much more commonly found in commerce under the name Oxalis crassipes 'Rosea'. In the southeastern US, this has long been a ...Read Morepopular pass along plant.

The negative ratings here result from confusing this with other species of Oxalis. This species does not produce corms or bulbils. Oxalis plants that spread aggressively or invasively (and there are many) belong to other species.

There are over 800 species of Oxalis. Correct identification can be difficult. In nurseries, this plant is usually identified by the (technically invalid) name "Oxalis crassipes." Other species are often confused with it in commerce.

This is an attractive plant that produces plentiful pink or white flowers in shade non-stop from early summer till frost. This has been reported to go summer dormant in climates with hot dry summers, but I haven't seen this happen in New England. I have not found it to be either aggressive or miffy. I lost it one exceptionally cold winter when day temps stayed in the single digits (F) for over six weeks. Not hard to find by mail-order. HIGHLY recommended.

This forms clumps 8" high and a foot across. I have never seen this species self-sow, and growth of the finger-like rhizome is slow. This species does not produce bulbils or grow from corms. Identifying oxalis species can be a challenge, and some species can be nasty weeds, but not this one.

The leaves resist light frosts. In my area, this is tardily deciduous, but in warmer climates it can be evergreen.

We found this beautiful plant in our yard under the gutter drain. We've decided to put it in a planter since our yard crew tends to cut i...Read Moret down every time. I'm hoping it will last through the winter and survive the transplant. Quite excited to have it!

Hate this plant??? Settle down. It's just a plant - not an invading terrorist army. I don't like petunias 'cuz they're sticky but I do...Read Moren't "hate" them.

I love this plant!!!

I have had bad experiences with the invasive white oxalis; I am sill trying to eradicate it after 11...Read More years. When my aunt tried to give me a start of this, I declined for several years. I noticed that it did not spread in her yard, so took a start. I'm so glad that I did. Is very well behaved, forming a short, round mound that is pretty much evergreen In my yard...although it dies back some in winter. As it gets denser, the corms grow together and form a big tuberous mass with corms around the edges. Fills in and expands, but does not wander AT ALL, even via seed

They grow wild in my yard. My dad hates them and pulls them up saying they'll take over. But I say why not? They're hardy, beautiful, and...Read More I like them better than grass. If it looks like it's going to take over my flower beds I just pull it, I've never had any trouble with it killing my other plants. It's leaves (I just found out) are tasty and tart but has Oxalic acid in it so don't eat too much.

I've just uploaded a picture to this heading (Oxalis articulata f. crassipes), based on some of the other pictures here.

...Read MoreHowever, I'm wondering if mine (and some others' here) are not Oxalis debilis Kunth varietas corymbosa (DC.) Lourteig, 1981, according to picture in Wikipedia article (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxalis), whose depicted flowers look just like mine, with light centers and veining or stripes.

The Wikipedia article lists Oxalis articulata Savign. – pink-sorrel | Oxalis articulata ssp. rubra (St.Hil.) Lourteig, with picture of flowers with dark centers.

Is there a more definitive picture-identification source somewhere, that I haven't yet come across? Dark centers vs. pale/green centers like mine?

I'm in zone 8b; acidic soil that supports azaleas, camellias, usually good amount of rainfall; dappled shade. These are plentiful on my lot, and in my pots, though neither side neighbor appears to have them. I try to remove them from my vegetable plots, but welcome them in flower beds, where they are no trouble at all. They appear and disappear at their will; I just enjoy them in their season.

My daughter recently moved into a house where this is scattered in clumps in the back lawn and we think it looks like a fairy-land. Beca...Read Moreuse it is mowed regularly, the flowers only get a few inches higher than the grass, but it blooms for months. The previous owners were there for 40 years and the clumps never multiplied, only grew larger very slowly. Planted over 20 years ago, the clumps are now a solid mass of tubers, but this doesn't seem to affect bloom. One plant is in the border and the clump is the same size around (about 14"), but gets to 12 - 14" high because it isn't mowed. I still hate the invasive Oxalis, but I love this little cutie!

I have this in my garden and it has been a reliable and beautiful addition. It was rescued from a yard where they were tearing down an ...Read Moreold house in town. It replanted perfectly. It's been here for four years now and has never been invasive, just a bright spot in the garden.

Found this growing in a somewhat shady part of my yard the other day. How this plant got to Montana I'll never know. It may have hitched ...Read Morea ride with one of the other plants I mail ordered from Oregon. That's what I'm thinking. No complaints here. It's really quite beautiful and looks good growing where it seeded itself or however it got there. Interesting in that it continues to grow and get larger when it's not even native to Montana and is not supposed to be hardy here. Well, it sure is hardy in my yard! Now my neighbors are asking for starts of it.

Hate...hate...hate this plant! Once the corm gets started, you cannot get rid of it. Some corms of this little plant came hidden in pine ...Read Morestraw we used for mulch and thus the plant got started among our gardens. We were able to eradicate it with significant labor in the accessible areas, but it worked it's way into the liriope and refuses to leave. Over a year later, we've tried anything and everything to get rid of it! We tried digging up each clump of oxalis/sorrel, and when that didn't work, we tried digging up larger clumps of liriope. Those pink flowers just keep coming back... and bringing more little friends along with them each time they reappear!!! This stuff even survived Round Up applied directly to it with Q-tips (though the surrounding liriope did not faire so well!). Be sure you really love it before putting this plant in your garden, because you will be stuck with it forever.

When I lived in California (95688) we raised them for more than fifty years. We had pale pink, dark pink ('old rose'), and white. I under...Read Morestand there is now a 'double' white form.

In our climate then they could, in good soil and location, reach 12-16 inches in height and were shaped like an inverted bowl. In the mild, summer dry California climate they grew fall-spring and were dormant during summer droughts. Never had any problems from them. Never any disease or insects either. Wonderful plant for a half-shaded border.

My family has cherished this plant as a border for 50+ years. It is the perfect border plant in that it grows in almost any conditions, ...Read Moreis not at all a "garden bully" and best of all it blooms off and on all the time. It is January 10 here today in zone 7b with nighttime freezing temps and I found blooms on some of the plants just now. Considering how delicate this plant looks, that is amazing.

Agree with the others that this is a wonderful old-fashioned little passalong plant and just wanted to add that it's green most of the ye...Read Morear here in mid-zone 7, certainly to hard winter, and in spring is a very useful green companion for early bulbs. Also confirming, it is a gentle spreader and not at all invasive (as some other oxalises most definitely are).

This pretty pink flowered charmer grows well in thick clay soils, rocky limestone soils, and even tolerates an alkaline pH. It tolerates...Read More drought and cold by going dormant. A great groundcover for shady spots. It also does well in containers, though it needs a bit more water that way. The flowers are nearly 1" across, which is big for an Oxalis.

Zone 9, South.
This shy little sweetie appears in early spring in the most unexpected places. Where ever it does show up, it's al...Read Moreways welcome. It's not aggressive or weedy at all. The darling flowers appear continuously.

When temps start to rise (high 80's F) the entire plant dies back to the ground. It re-appears in autumn, as soon as the temps start to drop. Here, the plants will persist in blooming until a hard freeze causes it to die back.

It does equally well in full sun or dense shade. Those in full sun die back quicker in summer, appear earlier in spring. They don't seem to mind periods of either drought or flood, tho they will droop during long periods of drought, if growing in a container. A quick hit with the hose perks it right up.

This is a darling little plant to grow at the base of taller perennials that don't make a show until summer. They require no special attention and seem to enjoy whatever treatment the plants around them get.

Oxalis grew in my parents' garden in West Sussex UK and has been growing 25 years in my garden nearby. Has survived temperatures down to ...Read More-10°F. Survives drought quite well, but sometimes develops rust in dry weather. Flowers for weeks and, here in the UK, I get a second flowering if I cut off dead flowers, including the stems. It is a very pretty border plant which I wouldn't be without.

One of my favorite perennials. Durable and carefree. Dies back in heat and drought but responds quickly. Flowers close up in rain and ...Read Morecool weather.

This pass-along plant is very different from the true Sorrel (Rumex), but it shares a pleasant, mustard-like flavor in its edible leaves....Read More (As its name implies, Oxalis crassipes contains oxalic acid; its flavor is not as mild as true Sorrel.)


Its bright pink flowers are cheerful in spring through early summer; in a protected spot, a second blooming in fall is common. It has finely divided leaves, similar to clover. The name translates as "thick foot" referring to the tuberous roots of this species. The thick, starchy roots make the plant particularly drought-tolerant.