Oxalis, Purple & Black False Shamrock, Wood Sorrel 'Atropurpurea'

On Nov 4, 2014, TweezersClorine from Limerick,
Canada wrote:

I live in Northern Canada, so this plant will never become invasive - it cannot survive our winters outdoors. So, I plant it in pots and sink the pots into the ground and lift them or plant the bulbs right into the ground and dig them up in the fall. 3 years ago I decided to bring a pot into the house and not directly into a cold storage area, after it had died off with the first hard killing frost, and it started to grow..It has thrived ever since, so now in addition to having this beauty outside, its in my house and I love it!
Wainwright, Alberta, Canada ZONE 2B

On Apr 21, 2014, BayAreaTropics from Hayward, CA wrote:

I cant get it to do much more then survive with a few sprigs...then dies off in winter here warm or cold. Last year it waited until mid summer to send up a few leaves.
Maybe it needs a really cold winter,or full sun here.That's a possibility as I had planted it in light shade under a King palm and with some Adiantum ferns.
It hasn't looked like the day I bought it,since the day I bought it. Still alive though...I think.
Wouldn't you know it,I badmouth the plant,and now I see its popped out of the ground under King palms. Yet,I'm not sure if it would do better with much more sun then the light shade it gets under the palms and near the shade of my house.
Some I dug up last fall and put into a pot..are still not up in late April. Its touchy..not as easy in Calif... read moreornia as testimonials from elsewhere make them sound.

On Apr 21, 2014, ruprecht from Shreveport, LA (Zone 8a) wrote:

I have tried growing this plant here in Louisiana a number of times, and of all those that I have planted only one has survived, and barely at that. On the other hand, the green oxalis that grows here (one variety with pink blossoms, the other with raspberry-colored ones), is so hardy and invasive that it completely covers the lawns of some homeowners, and it pops up everywhere, often in unwanted places, alas. It can easily be killed with herbicide, but when it grows in and around other desirable plants that is not feasible. The only alternative is to dig them out, but that is usually not a long-term solution, as they tend to come back from the numerous bulbs they propduce. I used to think it was pretty until it took over. Now, it is the bane of my gardening existence. I doubt that t... read morehe purple variety will be a nuisance here such as it seems to be in Australia.

On Oct 26, 2013, Magic_Physicist from Port Ludlow, WA wrote:

I have had mine for over 30 years (indoor) and it belonged to my great-grandmother back in the early 1960's here in NW Washington so it is over 50 years old now and it has never went dormant and I have it in a window on the NE side since it doesn't like heat or bright sunshine.

It flowers off and on all year.

Only problem it ever has is spider mites.

http://img36.imageshack.us/img36/5779/euql.jpg

On Sep 22, 2012, Latroon from Lake Forest Park, WA wrote:

We live on 1.3 acres near Seattle. There is a lovely spread of Oxalis under some big evergreens on our property: it was there when we moved in 15 years ago. It is my absolutely favorite plant. I've transplanted it to other spots, and it does just okay in sunnier areas, but seems to love the shady hillside the most.

On Dec 13, 2009, holeth from Corpus Christi, TX (Zone 9a) wrote:

Houseplant care: Keep moist. Drain after every watering. Slightly cover bulbs/corms with soil. Choose a deep enough pot for root growth. They like space to spread out & semi-shade/med light. Will go dormant if temp goes below 70F/22C.

Has been the envy of the office. I take it home & hide it when it takes its annual Feb-June nap. Have relatives who plant outside & re-dig every yr. Theirs look a bit healthier, but they have to keep getting bigger flower pots & find places to put the much bigger plants. Mine looks pretty enough.

On Jan 15, 2009, dalmatian_fan87 from Cascade, VA (Zone 7a) wrote:

for all of the invasiveness reasons as stated below, i prefer these as potted house plants, and they look GREAT when planted in a white pot. when their dormant period is due i just let their leaves die back and then put the bulbs in the refridgerator, NOT the freezer, is too cold in there! give them a couple of months and they are ready to grow again.

On Oct 9, 2008, barbiepauly from new zealand,
New Zealand wrote:

i put this in the neutral category, because i myself do not hate this plant, just like i don't hate dandelions. they're very cheery & pretty! but i was blown away to see that it is treasured elsewhere in the world, & even experienced as fragile & hard to keep alive apparently. like oppossums in aussie! here in new zealand gardeners wage a never-ending war to eliminated oxalis from places we don't want it! but we never win, because when it's happy with it's conditions, it goes NUTS reproducing itself! all it takes is to miss One Little Bulb sifting through your spot you're trying to purify, and it's BACK with a vengeance in a short amount of time! it's considered such a total weed here, that to pick some & put it in a vase is akin to picking ragweed or thistles...kind of arty at best... read more, but usually would be met with ridicule! in all fairness, not being pampered but having to grow wild means mostly raggedy street urchin specimans are all anyone ever sees...leaves not purple at all but pale & the flowers usually small. i'm gonna try treating one well in a pot & see what is the result! (:D

On Oct 7, 2008, joy112854 from Crestview, FL wrote:

I received this plant in bulbs from Richard Owens Nursery for buying other items, it was a freebee, and it grew like crazy. Mine have green four leaf clover leaves with purple on the inside, then a cute little pink flower came up from within, very pretty. I was given four bulbs and all four bloomed, I gave two away and kept two for myself; but they were not all purple like in the picture in this article, only in the inside of the leaf the outside was green which I think, looked really nice.
joy112854

On Oct 6, 2008, arthurb3 from Raleigh, NC (Zone 7b) wrote:

These a beautiful plants. They do die out in the hear of summer here in NC but come back in the fall once it cools. Unfortunatly, the voles love to eat them but part of the bulbs survive and come back as smaller plants.

On Oct 6, 2008, bamajoy from Ohatchee, AL wrote:

I live in Ohatchee, Alabama, about 60 miles west of Birmingham, Alabama.
I have had my Oxalis for several years, too many to remember. When we moved into a new home (on the same property) in 1994, I moved it, too. Mine is planted in beds on each side of my front steps, in filtered sun. They are thriving very well.
About 3 years ago I added the green Shamrock to the bed & last year I added a new one I had never seen before. It has green leaves with the deep burgundy in the center. It puts out the palest of pale pink flowers, a definite difference to the white & dark pink of the other two. All are doing fine, spreading & thriving.
When I "built" my beds, I put down several layers of newspapers, then about 5 inches of top soil. I have never fertilized my plants... read more.
I tried planting some in another area next to my garage that gets more sunlight, and is "good ol' Alabama red clay", but they did not do as well. They are still there, just do not spread, grow or produce flowers.
..Joy Miller..

On Oct 6, 2008, Sue6060 from Holland, NY wrote:

Here in Western New York state, I save the oxaxlis roots over winter in newspaper lined flats. Pull them from the garden, shake off most of the dirt, then let the clumps dry before storing. Stack up the flats on shelves in the garage or basement - as long as they don't freeze. Around mid-March, I break up the clumps and set the roots in fresh potting soil. Line an empty flat with landscape fabric that overlaps the edge of the flat by a couple inches, add a couple inches of soil then the roots and cover with more soil. Water the flats and set them under lights. When danger of frost is past, slip the plants out of the flat - using the landscape fabric to pull them out -into a prepared area a little larger than the flat and then backfill with garden soil. I leave the landscape fabric right in... read more place - the roots often go right through and the drainage is great. Makes a nice instant edging. As for the roots, I think the little pink shrimp-like ones produce the plants; I'm not sure of the function of the bigger white fleshy roots that I find every so often, but I throw them in too.
Sue6060

On Aug 4, 2008, vossner from Richmond, TX (Zone 9a) wrote:

I grow in pots for fear of it taking over my garden. As beautiful as it is, I don't want it everywhere. Definitely needs shade but even in shade, it tends to fade a little bit in the summer. Coloring in spring and fall is spectacular. Easy to propagate by division.

On Feb 18, 2008, Malus2006 from Coon Rapids, MN (Zone 4a) wrote:

A very nice plant for a shade pot - give a contract to other green foliage shade plants - the purples stay very well even in woodland shade. Storage the bulbs during winter and then replant them.

On Mar 12, 2007, berrygirl from Braselton, GA (Zone 8a) wrote:

Brent & Becky's lists this plant as regenellii var. triangularis "Mijke'.

On Jun 8, 2005, darylmitchell from Saskatoon, SK (Zone 3a) wrote:

The first time I planted this, it was in a hanging basket with some morning glory vines. Neither liked the full sun or windy location. The morning glories died within days, and the Oxalis started to lose its purple colour and revert to green. Despite some dieback, it survived and I surrounded it with some supertunias which shielded it from the sun and wind. Once fertilized, it really took off and flowered.

Next I tried it in a shaded location in a container with lobelia and fuchsia. It did marvellously and looked beautiful. I've learned now that it works best in shade or part sun instead of full sun.

On Mar 26, 2005, Gerris2 from Wilmington, DE (Zone 7a) wrote:

I got my plant a couple years ago in a trade and it has been a solid citizen in my garden. I grow it in a container in the bald open sun in my Delawarean garden, and it just keeps sending up those glorious pastel flowers and purple leaves all summer long. I have to overwinter it indoors, but it doesn't sulk one bit, just keep it out of drafts and in a well-lit area.

I have not seen seed pods, but I think one could divide it with not much effect on the plant.

Joseph

On Oct 7, 2004, lbonin from Kyle, TX wrote:

I am curious about propagation of this plant. I generally propagate this plant by splitting the rhizomes but have noticed lately that a lone plant will sprout 6-8 feet away from a bed of these plants. There is no evidence of any other oxalis between the bed and the sprout. How does it travel this relatively great distance? It is a beautiful and forgiving plant I have had almost 15 years now, splitting and sharing every opportunity that arises. Especially beautiful when mixed with the all green oxalis/white flower.

On Oct 8, 2003, wnstarr from Puyallup, WA (Zone 5a) wrote:

For several years had this plant and babied it in the greenhouse in the winter here in Washington state. Two years ago I planted it into the garden, and it has done fantastically well. It is under the shade of the Japanese banana (Musa basjoo) and companion to the Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa macra.) It makes for a great color combination. It receives only limited filtered sun and excellent drainage. Another "houseplant" that has happily made the transistion to the garden. Give it a try, it's tougher than you think.

On Jul 20, 2003, suncatcheracres from Old Town, FL wrote:

I grew this plant in Newnan, Georgia, (zone 7b) about 40 miles SW of Atlanta, in the ground under dappled shade for four years. I found two small plants growing as volunteers in another plant I had bought at a local nursery, and once transplanted and established in the ground they grew very happily at either side of a garden gate at the entrance to a wood, paired with "Variegated Liriope" (Lirope muscari 'Variegata') for contrast. The plants came up every year, surviving 6°F degree winter temperatures, and snow on the ground for several days.

Just today in the yard of a friend in Zone 8b in north-central Florida I saw a beautiful single specimen of this plant, again growing in dappled shade, and his plant was about three times taller than the height my plants ever... read more achieved in Georgia. So now I'm going to grow it here, again paired with Lirope muscari 'Variegata'.

On May 27, 2003, tyro wrote:

I received my plant as a gift in a pot around 1997. It did not do well in the pot under my patio cover (USDA Zone 7), so I moved it into the yard where it thrived in dappled shade. I didn't really know what I had, so what I've learned has been from trial and error. I found that it could very easily release the bloom and leaf stems if disturbed by even the lightest water force or by digging to separate. It would quickly recover, however, and be blooming again shortly.

I do not fertilize as it seems to not do well afterwards. I leave it in the ground year round and it's back up in the spring and blooms all summer until fall. It has survived ice, snow, temperatures below 0° and above 100°F. It's really a wonder plant and I love it. I've dug and shared with friends. It ... read morespreads easily but is not invasive. A more enjoyable plant I've never owned. I finally decided to see what I really had when a friend told me that it was Oxalis - I searched quite a bit, but not until this site did I see a picture of what I have. Thanks!

On Mar 27, 2003, tommcf from Buchanan, NY wrote:

This is one of my favorite plants. I acquired a pot full of this plant in 1995 from a plant laboratory in a college I was attending at the time. They were doing research into the life cycle and behavior of the plant (flowering and the opening and closing of the leaves). I was told that the proper scientific name of the plant was Oxalis triangulasar, although I could be getting that confused with a more common wood sorrel species in this area (New York, U.S.)

It’s a highly resilient plant. Twice, the pot was down to one or two sorry looking individuals (they always sprout in pairs), mostly through excessive fertilizing. and I managed to bring it back. Excessive fertilizing is the easiest way of killing this plant.

It will flower regularly if it is in goo... read mored health and not stressed (lack of water, light, excessive fertilizer, etc.) The flowers would wind up sticking to the window. The easiest way of telling that it needs more light or water is if the leaves don’t open during the day or under good plant lights. I sometimes used it as an water indicator to know when to water the rest of my plants, but I generally wouldn’t recommend that to others. Lighting is also critical - I’ve lived in several different places since I’ve had these plants, and they’ve grown differently in every place. Indirect light is best.

I also had to ask a Philippino friend to refrain from eating my plant. I think I put it in more colorful terms that that though: My pot of purple plants always piques people's interest. (Try saying THAT three times quick!)

On May 15, 2002, Dayabay wrote:

I've been growing this since 1995. I dug it out of a garden in Hong Kong, moved it to China, and then moved it to England. It loves light, water and fertilizer. It flowers almost all year in warmer climates, and indoors in the winter.

My neighbour, from Zimbabwe, calls it "Sourgrass" and says they eat it back home. When she first saw mine she pinched a leaf and munched it.

Plant propagates by corms/splitting. It can also root in water.