Planting DesignDiscover the right plants for your garden.
becharm ® Wine Shamrock . exposure by : Proven Winners .
Oxalis , a extremity of the wood sour grass family , often gets a unsound rap because of its underweight reputation . While it ’s true that some aboriginal coinage can quickly overrun a lawn or garden , there are many ornamental miscellany that are well - behave and full of magic spell . With colored clover - similar leaves and dainty flowers , oxalis are superb accent industrial plant in garden beds and container . Many wood sorrel are also perfectly happy as house industrial plant , especially in region with colder winters .
Although you will often find sorrel sold in garden inwardness as “ shamrock plants , ” especially around St. Patrick ’s sidereal day , they are nottrue shamrocksor congener of trefoil , despite the similarities in leaf manakin . Oxalis has a personality all its own , flaunt three - lobed , triangular leaf in rich shadiness ranging from emerald green to thick maroon and even variegated patterns . You ’ll also find some varieties lark about an extra leaf for salutary measure , just like the lucky four - leaf trefoil .
On this page : Basics|Planting Oxalis|Oxalis Care and Maintenance|Growing Oxalis Indoors|Pothos Pictures|Garden estimate
OXALIS BASICS
Botanical name:
Oxalisspecies .
Common names:
Wood sorrel , sour shamrock , common wood sorrel industrial plant , good luck plant , love works
Plant type:
Tender bulb , often grown as an annual or indoor flora .
Zones:
USDA zone 7 - 10 , although some varieties can tolerate colder temperature .
Exposure:
Full sun to partial tint
Bloom time:
Virtually ever - blooming , with the heaviest flower output in the cooler temperature of early leap and autumn . industrial plant lean to rest in the summertime when temperature outmatch 85 ° F .
Flower colors:
There are white , pinkish , originate , lilac-colored , or yellow - blossom varieties , as well as some with two - toned flowers .
Foliage colors:
Green , majestic , silver , or variegated
Is oxalis toxic?
All members of theOxalisgenus contain oxalic dot , which can be toxic when ingested in large amount . Keep plant out from children and pets . See moreCommon Poisonous Plants for Dogs and Cats .
Is oxalis invasive?
Some aboriginal species of oxalis , such as yellow wood sour grass ( O. stricta ) and creep wood sorrel ( O. corniculata ) , are common gage and think to be trespassing . However , the decorative varieties featured here are well carry and will not spread out of bounds .
PLANTING OXALIS
Oxalis bulb . pic by : de2marco / Shutterstock
Where to plant:
In full Dominicus or light wraith in well - debilitate , prolific ground . If you live in a red-hot clime , plants will do best in a placement with good afternoon shade .
When to plant:
implant bulb outdoors in previous spring , after all danger of frost has passed . The foliage typically emerges 3 to 4 week after planting , with the flowers appear approximately 8 to 10 weeks by and by .
How to plant:
In garden beds , plant bulbs approximately 2 inches deep and 4 to 6 inches apart , insure lightly with grime . If necessary , dig a little compost or organic thing into the grime before planting to improve soil character .
For container planting , plant the bulbs about an inch deep in a well - draining potting mix , using about 6 to 8 bulbs for a 6 - column inch tidy sum .
Forcing oxalis bulbs:
you could also force potted oxalis bulbs indoors before moving them out to the garden by set them in promising light in a room with cool temperature ( about 55 ° to 60 ° F ) . Keep the soil evenly moist , but not drenched . Once bloom get to look , they will often continue for several months . Unlike sturdy bulbs , oxalis medulla do n’t need a cool off period ( or vernalization ) in ordering to rise .
OXALIS CARE AND MAINTENANCE
Watering:
Oxalis plants will wilt if the soil is allow to dry out out , so keep the soil evenly moist but not soggy . The bulbs will rot in overly pissed soil .
Fertilizing:
If grown in well - compost soil , oxalis seldom require extra industrial plant food . Container - grown plants will benefit from the covering a slow - release plant food at planting time . Withhold fertilize if plants enroll a resting or dormancy menstruum in midsummer .
Pruning and deadheading:
plant are ego - strip , so no deadheading is necessary , but you’re able to light crop the foliage at any time to control plant size of it and shape . If your plants go dormant in the summer and the leaves start to rick brown , you may bring down back the dying foliage to about an inch from alkali of the flora .
Overwintering:
In areas colder than zone 7 , toil up bulb planted in garden bed before the first frost and lay in them in a coolheaded , teetotal office until they can be replanted in the spring . For shamrock plant grown in mint , move them indoors and stop water them . Store them in a cool , Robert Frost - free place to keep them abeyant . At the beginning of the next acquire time of year , you may repot the bulbs and restart watering and fertilizing .
Pests and diseases:
wood sorrel have few pests , but be on the lookout foraphids , whiteflies , andspider mites , which may at times be a nuisance . Other potential problems include fungal leaf stain , rust , andpowdery mold .
GROWING OXALIS INDOORS
. Charmed ® Wine Shamrock . Photo by : Proven Winners
Light requirements:
Give bright , indirect sparkle , such as from a south- or west - facing window . Under blue - light condition , plants may become spindly and die to bloom .
Ideal room temperature:
Cool Nox temperature ( around 50 ° to 65 ° farad ) and warm daytime temperatures ( around 70 ° to 75 ° fluorine ) .
Humidity:
Average menage humidity levels are fine .
Keep ground evenly moist , watering when the open of the soil feels wry . Pots should have drain holes to forestall soggy soil .
Feed every 2 to 3 weeks with a balanced melted house plant life fertilizer while plant life are actively growing .
Dormancy:
If your indoor oxalis begin to lose all of its leaves , do n’t panic . It ’s just entering a period of sleeping ( which usually last for a month or two ) so it can conserve energy for a new kick of growth . During this time , move your plant into a sour place , lose weight tearing , and contain fertilizing until you see new growth begin . This quiescence full point is a near opportunity to divide industrial plant by separating some of the bulbs and replanting them in novel pots .
OXALIS VARIETIES
Charmed ® Wine Shamrock . Photo by : Proven winner
Purple ShamrockOxalis triangularis
Zones:7 - 10Height / bedcover : Up to 16 in tall and 12 inches wideBloom clock time : Early summertime until freeze
A stunning accent flora or house plant , featuring enceinte three - lobed triangular leaves ranging in color from deep purple to virtually fatal . A utilitarian addition to container plantings in penury of season - long color .
Pictured : Charmed ® Wine Shamrock — Buy from Proven achiever
Photo by : misledD / Shutterstock
Redwood SorrelOxalis oregana
Zones:7 - 9Height / spread:4 to 8 inch marvelous and wideBloom time : April to September
diagnose for its ability to thrive under a thick canopy of redwood trees , this Pacific Northwest native roll in the hay cool , shady , moist term . fantabulous for consumption as a ground cover in shaded areas .
Photo by : pjhpix / Shutterstock
Lucky CloverOxalis tetraphylla
Zones:8 - 10Height / spread:8 to 12 column inch tall and wideBloom time : Early summer until hoarfrost
This Mexican indigen has four leave-taking ( rather of three ) . For much of the summertime , the lustrous green and empurpled leafage is topped by clusters of trumpet - shape flowers .
exposure by : RukiMedia / Shutterstock
Silver ShamrockOxalis adenophylla
Zones:4 - 10Height / spread:3 to 4 inch marvellous and wideBloom metre : belated spring to early summer
With deeply pleated , silvery light-green leaves , this variety thrives in nerveless climates and will only open up its blossoms when the Dominicus shin on them , reveal eye - catch dark purple centers .
Photo by : FocalPoint / Shutterstock
Lucky ShamrockOxalis regnellii
Zones:7 - 10Height / spread:6 to 8 column inch tall and wideBloom time : former summertime until Robert Frost
Instantly recognizable with its sum - shaped parting , this Graeco-Roman shamrock plant is found in stores around St. Patrick ’s Day . Most often develop as a house industrial plant , but can be grown outdoors in fond wraith . Dainty wihte flowers in summertime .
photograph courtesy of K. van Bourgondien
Candy Cane SorrelOxalis versicolor
Zones:7 - 9Height / spread:6 inches tall and 2 to 3 inches wideBloom clock time : Mid to late summer
Although most oxalis are grown for the foliage , the flowers are the wow factor of this unusual plant with its misrepresented red - bordered petals . The flush will only open under the soft soap of sunny weather condition .
Molten Lava ™ oxalis . picture by : Proven Winners
Volcanic SorrelOxalis vulcanicola
Zones:8 - 11Height / spread:6 to 10 inches tall , spreading up to 1 footBloom clock time : former give through summertime
It seems that the more Lord’s Day you give it , the more colorful the foliage , although also stunning in light spectre . Ideal for function in container planting or as a showy groundcover .
USING OXALIS IN THE GARDEN
There are many ways to use oxalis in the garden , include : rock gardens , groundcover , edging or front of borderline , or in containers and hanging baskets .
Fun fact:
Ever wondered why some oxalis are call " butterfly stroke shamrocks ” ? That ’s because their leaves are photophilic , which means they react to light intensity by folding up at Nox or on overcast Day and reopening when the sun shines . During the sidereal day , they may even stretch or change the position of their leaves to capture as much sunlight as possible .
