Oxalisspp.
My first shamrock was more than a houseplant . It was a connection to my Irish grandma and the folk in County Cork I ’d never known – or so I suppose .
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I later learned that there is nothing Irish about a hop clover plant , but the blossom and foliage are pretty andOxalisare long - lived species .
Oxalis stricta. Photo by SB Johnny, Wikimedia Commons, viaCC BY-SA.
link up me to talk over the shamrock plant and how to raise and care for your own houseplant .
Here ’s what we ’ll cover :
What You’ll Learn
Let ’s start with some backdrop .
Cultivation and History
The word shamrock is Irish for “ petty clover , ” and clover species belong to the Fabaceae or pea family line .
They have three - lob leaflets – unless you truly have the lot o ’ the Irish and find one with four . Saint Patrick is said to have used a case of trefoil leafage to explain the Holy Trinity , promote the petite leaf to a position of honor .
He might have used white clover , Trifoliumrepens , a metal money with whitened bloom that often grows in our lawn .
Or perhaps lesser medic , T. dubium , a three - leafed coinage with chickenhearted flower .
There is debate about which of the clovers is the “ true ” Irish Trifolium repens . White trefoil is plentiful , turn as feed for skimming animals . There ’s not much conjuration in that .
But the less trefoil is a chirpy little wildflower whose omnipresent presence is as beloved as the leprechaun . It ’s no wonderment many accept it as the lawful shamrock .
However , these clover species are not showy and do n’t do well as houseplant .
Our subject shamrocks are neither livid trefoil nor lesser trefoil . They are not any type ofTrifoliumspecies , nor are they in the pea family .
They are imposters .
The shamrock plants we buy around St. Patty ’s Day with the gullible , purple , or variegate foliage areseveral types ofOxalis , from the Oxalidaceae or woodwind instrument dock family .
A closer look reveals a less rounded , more angular , or fondness - shaped leaf larger than ground trefoil .
You may already greet a common wildOxalisthat looks like clover and has a yellow heyday and unripened or regal farewell . It pops up in the lawn , flowerpots , and snap in the pavement .
There is a aboriginal species with this description , O. stricta , and a non - native cringe species , O. corniculata . Both are potentially invasive .
autochthonal Americans have long used the aboriginal mintage to treat ailment like huffy throats and dyspepsia , despite an oxalic pane content in these plants that may be toxic in large quantities .
The Greek nameOxalismeans acidic or sour .
Other wildOxalisspecies with fast-growing disposition include Bermuda crowfoot , O.pes - caprae , and pink wood sorrel , O. articulata .
Another non - native yellow - floweringOxalisyou may be conversant with is oka , O. tuberosa .
The comestible base are big and have long been a cultivated solid food harvest in the Andes and New Zealand .
A Note of Caution:
Keep children and pet away from allOxalisspecies , including Trifolium dubium , to avoid intake and potential oxalic acid poisoning .
To add insult to injury , Oxalisis not aboriginal to Ireland . Instead , the species in this large genus amount mostly from Africa and Central and South America .
As mention , there are also North American specie . And one of the more lately described species , O. simplicifolia , was institute in French Polynesia .
The first shamrock hit the St. Patty ’s Day market in the United States in the 1980s . It was a purple - leafedO. triangularisfrom Brazil .
The shamrock we find for cut-rate sale around St. Patrick ’s Day areOxalisof various mintage , let in the dark-green - leafedO. regnellii , plum and purpleO. triangularis(akaO. regnelliivar.triangularis ) , and unripe and purple four - leafedO. tetraphylla(akaO. deppei ) .
Oxalisflowersmay be pink , red-faced , white-hot , or yellowish . They bloom in clusters from spring to summer .
Plants grow from bulb - corresponding tubers call rootstalk . They are active in the fall , winter , and spring , and by nature enter dormancy in the summertime , although this normal may vary with houseplants .
A unique machine characteristic is nyctinasty , the ending of the bloom and leave of absence at night .
Despite the blarney about its association with Ireland , you ’re sure to have skillful destiny with an easy - care , long - livedOxalisshamrock .
Propagation
Shamrocks do not produce executable seed . However , scientist can create semisynthetic seeds by capsulise a piece of plant tissue paper and culture it in a research laboratory , facilitating the toll - effective mass production of plant for the commercial-grade market .
To propagate your own , you ’ll need to separate tubers from a friend ’s plant or purchase a potted specimen from a nursery . Let ’s take a flavour at both method .
By Division
The time to part a Trifolium dubium is in the fall when the new growth appears .
take a well - draining , holey container with a diam of six column inch , and take it with potting grime . The land Earth’s surface should be one column inch below the pot lip for well-heeled watering . tot grease slightly higher to allow for some settling .
Unpot the works and lightly remove enough dirt to see the tubers . Choose a genus Tuber about an column inch in diameter . It must have root and stems sequester . Gently loosen the tuber away from the others .
determine the tuber in the center of the kitty at a shallow depth of one inch and track it with soil . Planting too deeply may makeOxalisprone to rotting . Backfill and water . pack the ground .
Place the muckle three feet from a sunny windowpane for bright , collateral sunshine exposure .
Transplanting
To transfer the content of a glasshouse pot to a decorative one , first take bank bill of how deeply the plant seat in its current container .
Select a well - draining green goddess two inches wider than the outer edge of the leaf . Fill it a quarter to a third full with potting grime .
Unpot the substance of the older container . Loosen the soil at the bottom . If the ascendent are tightly wound or rootbound , use pruning hook to slew up into the bottom inch of the root to sever and loosen them .
Remove as much dirt as potential from the tuber if the industrial plant is rootbound . The ground is likely deplete and in indigence of replacement . If it is not potbound , you may keep the soil intact around the genus Tuber .
Nestle the plant life in the new pot slightly high than it was in the original container to allow for some settlement . Backfill , tamp the ground , and water .
Set the throne three foot from a cheery window .
Now let ’s talk about charge after propagation .
How to Grow
An indoor shamrock involve burnished , indirect sunlight .
If you keep it on a gay south - face windowsill , you may require to move it about three groundwork away from the methamphetamine on red-hot , bright days to avoid dehydration , leafage scorch , and emphasis - induced dormancy .
The idealistic temperature is 70 to 75 ° F during the day and 50 to 60 ° F at nighttime . If the temperature exceeds 80 ° F , heat stress may cause wilt and previous sleeping .
practice wet - retentive , organically - rich potting grime . Most potted leaf thrives best in land with a pH between 4.0 and 6.5 . Most packaged potting soil meets this qualification .
Choose a poriferous passel such as glassless Lucius Clay that quickly vaporise excess wet . Make certain it has one or more drainage trap .
Water when the surface of the soil feel dry . It ’s best not to let the crapper completely dry out , as not all species can tolerate a dry full point .
fecundate at least once a calendar month during the develop time of year , from fall through spring . When plants are in efflorescence , run every two to three weeks is best . practice a liquid houseplant fertilizer diluted with water to half posture .
With the onset of summertime , a white clover naturally enters dormancy . Sometimes a random trying event , like block to water or a drastic temperature change , may also activate the declivity .
Do n’t panic if you wake up one morning time and the stems are limp . If the soil is appropriately dampish , neither under- nor oversaturated , you could take over that quiescence is underway .
Discontinue watering and fertilizing . As dormancy advance , the foliage will ferment yellowed and brown before falling off . Remove the dead foliage .
Move the grass out of the sun and into your plate ’s coolest , driest locating . permit it remain in this spot during dormancy .
A time period of one month is usually enough for over-embellished - leaf varieties , but those with unripe foliage benefit from a two- to three - month dormancy . You ’ll know when dormancy is over because new shoot will look .
After resting , retrovert the pot to its sunny location and resume watering and fertilizing .
Even if dormancy is focus induced , be the steps above to let a eternal sleep period before burgeon forth again .
Growing Tips
When you commemorate the following , you ’re well on your elbow room to successfulOxaliscultivation :
Now let ’s search at some additional upkeep tasks .
Maintenance
To keep your common wood sorrel in confidential information - top o ’ the morning shape , there are a few additional task to undertake .
The first is repotting as postulate .
Oxalisdoes best in a cosy - fitting slew that limits theme increment and promote optimum leaf production . Expect mature proportion of six to 18 in improbable and 12 to 24 inches broad .
The metre to move up to a larger flock is when you’re able to no longer comfortably get thewatering canspout between the stems and the pot rim . Increase the container size by no more than two inches in diameter to maintain a cosy fit .
Be sure to prefer a porous pot with at least one drain hole . Note how deep your industrial plant sit around in its older spate . You ’ll want to replicate the depth in the novel container .
As you unpot , you ’ll find that the roots are shallow . lightly remove most of the older soil from around them . hear not to break the tubers to keep a uniform mound of foliage .
Fill the fresh container two - thirds of the way with pot grease .
take root the pennant , where the shoot issue from the tubers , slightly eminent than before . I care to do this because good quality potting soil is light-headed and airy and commonly settles a little lower after tearing .
Backfill with soil and tamp it down .
Water well . The tubers should now be more or less two in from the top of the pot rim and one column inch below the soil .
Autumn , when the new shoot appear , is the perfect time to divide the genus Tuber as described in the propagation section above . It ’s a cracking way to slim down bulk and have more works to keep or share .
When planting multiple individual Tuber in the same pot , appropriate about three inches between them to facilitate flow of air and alimental ingestion .
After blossoming , remove the spent bloom husk to maintain a sizeable appearance .
And lastly , transfer dead or damage foliage during the acquire season . It improve the overall appearance and let down susceptibleness to pest and disease .
Species, Varieties, and Cultivars to Select
There are numerousOxalisspecies , fluctuation , and cultivated variety from which to choose , let in :
Green Shamrock
Green Shamrock ( O. regnellii ) has lustrous gullible parting that change from triangular to heart - form .
The foliage resemble the lush field of Ireland , and a flurry of bright livid flower hovers like a puffy swarm .
Green shamrock isavailable from Easy to develop memory via Amazonin packages of 20 tubers .
A cultivated salmagundi you may like isO. regnellii‘Irish Mist . ’ It has variegate bloodless and green leaves .
Lucky Clover
Lucky clover , aka lucky lesser yellow trefoil , O. tetraphylla ( syn . O. deppei ) ‘ Iron Cross , ’ has four - lob green leaves accented by purple .
The four - leafage motley , marrow - comparable leaf and bold pink bloom make an eye - catch increase to home or office staff interior decoration .
prosperous clover isavailable from C Z Grain via Amazonin software program of 20 tubers .
Purple Shamrock
Purple , or fake shamrock , O. triangularis(akaO. regnelliivar.triangularis ) , has deep plum - colored foliage with purple center streaks .
pinkish blossom perch sweet above the bluff foliage below .
Purple hop clover isavailable from C Z Grain via Amazonin package of 10 tubers .
A cultivar you may also find attractive is‘Mijke . ’ Instead of two - timber purple foliage , the foliage are substantial purpleness .
Managing Pests and Disease
Oxalisspecies are not prone to pest or disease , especially when grow indoors . However , under less - than - ideal conditions , they may become vulnerable .
example are a elbow room that is hotter or cold than recommended , land that is too dry or wet , and too much or too little sunlight .
Some common houseplant pests you may encounter are :
cuss may be vectors or carriers of disease .
likely diseases and the pathogens that cause them let in :
Outdoor plantsthat are overly wet or grown nearcornorbeetsare far more likely to suffer from these disease than houseplant .
take more about these likely pests and diseases in the referenced pathfinder .
Quick Reference Growing Guide
Irish Eyes Are Smilin’
Even though it ’s not trefoil or Irish , I likeOxalisshamrocks because they are showy , easy to care for , and long - live .
Knowing that their summertime slump is not the end but a period of dormancy from which they reawaken is probably not as widely promote by nurseries as it should be .
But now you know this mystery and how to propagate even more plants by dividing the tubers .
My Irish eyes still smile when I see a cuckoo bread , and I go for yours will , too .
If you savor reading this templet and want tolearn about more houseplantswith nyctanistic conduct , like nighttime flower and leaf closure , we recommend the following next :
© Ask the Experts , LLC . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.See our TOSfor more detail . Product photo via C Z Grain and Hirt ’s Houseplants . Uncredited picture : Shutterstock .
About
Nan Schiller
