Planting DesignDiscover the right plants for your garden.
Charmed ® Wine Shamrock . picture by : Proven Winners .
Oxalis , a member of the forest Jamaica sorrel family , often get a bad whack because of its weedy report . While it ’s true that some native species can quickly overrun a lawn or garden , there are many ornamental varieties that are well - deport and full of appealingness . With colorful trefoil - corresponding leaves and kickshaw flush , oxalis are superb accent plants in garden beds and container . Many oxalis are also perfectly well-chosen as house plants , especially in areas with cold-blooded wintertime .
Although you will often find wood sorrel sold in garden mall as “ shamrock plants , ” specially around St. Patrick ’s Day , they are nottrue shamrocksor relatives of clover , despite the similarities in foliage form . Oxalis has a personality all its own , flaunting three - lob , triangular leaves in rich shades ranging from emerald green to bass maroon and even variegated radiation pattern . You ’ll also find some varieties sporting an extra leaf for near beat , just like the lucky four - leaf trefoil .
On this page : Basics|Planting Oxalis|Oxalis Care and Maintenance|Growing Oxalis Indoors|Pothos Pictures|Garden idea
OXALIS BASICS
Botanical name:
Oxalisspecies .
Common names:
Natalie Wood sorrel , false dutch clover , shamrock works , honest luck plant , love plant
Plant type:
Tender bulb , often grown as an yearly or indoor plant .
Zones:
USDA Zones 7 - 10 , although some varieties can tolerate colder temperature .
Exposure:
Full sun to partial shade
Bloom time:
Virtually ever - bloom , with the heaviest flower yield in the cooler temperature of early spring and autumn . plant incline to rest in the summer when temperatures exceed 85 ° degree Fahrenheit .
Flower colors:
There are white , pink , rose , lavender , or yellow - bloom variety , as well as some with two - toned heyday .
Foliage colors:
Green , purple , Ag , or variegated
Is oxalis toxic?
All members of theOxalisgenus hold oxalic back breaker , which can be toxic when consume in orotund quantities . Keep works away from fry and pet . See moreCommon vicious Plants for Dogs and Cats .
Is oxalis invasive?
Some native species of oxalis , such as yellowish wood sorrel ( O. stricta ) and creeping forest sorrel ( O. corniculata ) , are vernacular Mary Jane and regard to be invasive . However , the ornamental varieties featured here are easily check and will not spread out of limit .
PLANTING OXALIS
Oxalis bulbs . Photo by : de2marco / Shutterstock
Where to plant:
In full sun or light shade in well - debilitate , fertile soil . If you populate in a live climate , flora will do best in a location with afternoon wraith .
When to plant:
imbed bulbs outdoors in later natural spring , after all peril of frost has give . The foliation typically emerges 3 to 4 weeks after establish , with the bloom appearing approximately 8 to 10 week later .
How to plant:
In garden beds , plant bulbs approximately 2 inches deep and 4 to 6 inches aside , covering lightly with land . If necessary , dig a piddling compost or organic matter into the soil before planting to improve filth quality .
For container planting , plant the bulbs about an in deep in a well - draining potting premix , using about 6 to 8 bulbs for a 6 - inch stool .
Forcing oxalis bulbs:
you’re able to also drive potted oxalis bulbs indoors before moving them out to the garden by placing them in bright light in a room with nerveless temperatures ( about 55 ° to 60 ° F ) . Keep the land evenly moist , but not drenched . Once blooms start out to appear , they will often cover for several months . Unlike hardy bulbs , oxalis bulbs do n’t need a cool down period ( or vernalization ) to develop .
OXALIS CARE AND MAINTENANCE
Watering:
Oxalis plant will droop if the soil is allowed to dry out out , so keep the soil equally moist but not sloughy . The bulbs will rot in overly pissed soil .
Fertilizing:
If grown in well - composted filth , oxalis rarely take extra plant intellectual nourishment . Container - grown plants will benefit from the app a wearisome - dismission plant food at planting clip . Withhold fertilizing if plants enter a resting or quiescence period in midsummer .
Pruning and deadheading:
Plants are ego - pick , so no deadheading is necessary , but you’re able to lightly prune the leaf at any time to control works size and Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe . If your plants go dormant in the summertime and the leaves begin to twist chocolate-brown , you’re able to trim back the dying foliage to about an inch from base of the plant .
Overwintering:
In areas colder than zone 7 , dig up bulbs plant in garden beds before the first freeze and store them in a coolheaded , dry place until they can be replanted in the spring . For shamrock industrial plant grown in pots , move them indoors and stop water them . Store them in a cool , frost - free space to keep them dormant . At the commencement of the next growing time of year , you may repot the bulb and resume watering and fertilizing .
Pests and diseases:
wood sorrel have few pest , but be on the sentinel foraphids , whitefly , andspider mites , which may occasionally be a nuisance . Other potential trouble include fungal leaf spot , rust , andpowdery mould .
GROWING OXALIS INDOORS
. Charmed ® Wine Shamrock . picture by : Proven Winners
Light requirements:
Give brilliant , collateral light , such as from a south- or westward - look windowpane . Under low-pitched - brightness condition , plants may become spindly and neglect to bloom .
Ideal room temperature:
Cool night temperatures ( around 50 ° to 65 ° F ) and lovesome daytime temperature ( around 70 ° to 75 ° atomic number 9 ) .
Humidity:
intermediate household humidness degree are fine .
Keep soil evenly moist , water when the surface of the soil feels dry . gage should have drain jam to keep miry soil .
prey every 2 to 3 weeks with a balanced limpid home plant fertilizer while plant are actively growing .
Dormancy:
If your indoor oxalis begins to lose all of its leaves , do n’t panic . It ’s just entering a period of time of quiescence ( which usually lasts for a month or two ) so it can keep up energy for a unexampled flush of growth . During this time , move your plant into a benighted place , foreshorten watering , and stop fertilizing until you see new growth begin . This quiescence period is a good opportunity to carve up flora by separating some of the bulbs and replant them in new pots .
OXALIS VARIETIES
Charmed ® Wine Shamrock . Photo by : Proven Winners
Purple ShamrockOxalis triangularis
Zones:7 - 10Height / spread : Up to 16 inch magniloquent and 12 inches wideBloom sentence : other summertime until frost
A stunning accent plant life or house plant , have tumid three - lobed triangular leaves ranging in color from deep purpleness to nearly black . A useful addition to container planting in need of time of year - long color .
Pictured : captivate ® Wine Shamrock — bargain from Proven Winners
Photo by : misledD / Shutterstock
Redwood SorrelOxalis oregana
Zones:7 - 9Height / spread:4 to 8 inches tall and wideBloom time : April to September
Named for its power to flourish under a blockheaded canopy of sequoia trees , this Pacific Northwest native love cool , shady , moist precondition . Excellent for use as a groundcover in shaded areas .
Photo by : pjhpix / Shutterstock
Lucky CloverOxalis tetraphylla
Zones:8 - 10Height / spread:8 to 12 inch tall and wideBloom time : Early summertime until frost
This Mexican aborigine has four parting ( alternatively of three ) . For much of the summer , the bright fleeceable and purple foliage is top out by clusters of trumpet - influence blossom .
Photo by : RukiMedia / Shutterstock
Silver ShamrockOxalis adenophylla
Zones:4 - 10Height / spread:3 to 4 in tall and wideBloom meter : Late spring to early summertime
With deeply pleated , silvery green leaves , this potpourri prosper in cooler clime and will only unfold its blossoms when the sun shine on them , revealing heart - catching dark purple centers .
Photo by : FocalPoint / Shutterstock
Lucky ShamrockOxalis regnellii
Zones:7 - 10Height / spread:6 to 8 inches tall and wideBloom time : Early summer until Robert Lee Frost
like a shot recognizable with its heart - shaped leaf , this classic white clover plant is find in stores around St. Patrick ’s Day . Most often develop as a house plant , but can be grown outside in fond shade . treat wihte flowers in summer .
picture good manners of K. van Bourgondien
Candy Cane SorrelOxalis versicolor
Zones:7 - 9Height / spread:6 inches tall and 2 to 3 inches wideBloom time : Mid to tardy summer
Although most wood sorrel are grown for the foliage , the peak are the wow factor of this strange plant with its twisted ruddy - bordered petals . The flowers will only open under the sweet talk of sunny weather .
Molten Lava ™ oxalis . Photo by : Proven Winners
Volcanic SorrelOxalis vulcanicola
Zones:8 - 11Height / spread:6 to 10 inches improbable , spreading up to 1 footBloom prison term : Late spring through summertime
It seems that the more sun you give it , the more colorful the foliage , although also stunning in light refinement . idealistic for function in container plantings 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 border , or in container and hanging baskets .
Fun fact:
Ever wonder why some oxalis are called " butterfly shamrocks ” ? That ’s because their foliage are photophilic , which stand for they respond to light chroma by close up at night or on cloud-covered day and reopen when the sunlight shines . During the Clarence Day , they may even stretch or change the positioning of their leaves to enamour as much sunlight as potential .
