Wood sorrels
Botanical name: Oxalis
Wood sorrels
Botanical name: Oxalis
Description
Wood sorrels can be annuals or perennials that have anywhere from three to ten leaflets. Due to their similar appearance, these plants are often mistakenly referred to as clover. Several cultivars are grown as container plants, while others are used in ornamental gardens. Foliage color ranges from light green to dark purple.
Species of Wood sorrels
Volcanic sorrel
Volcanic sorrel derives its common name from the area where it was first officially collected — near the Irazu Volcano in Costa Rica. While it grows naturally in montane forests, it is also a favorite of gardeners, especially as a filler for container planting. Its stems are semi-succulent so it can withstand semi-dry conditions better than other plants.
Purple shamrock
Flower language is "I will never throw you away" "Glittering heart".
Wood sorrels 'Cottage Pink'
Aptly named, wood sorrels 'Cottage Pink' has bright pink flowers that are attractive to pollinators, as well as lime green leaves. This cultivar has sterile seeds, meaning it does not pose a threat of becoming invasive. As such, it is used in both gardens and containers.
Wood sorrels 'Rosea'
In Latin 'rosea' means rosy, or pink, and the bright pink flowers of wood sorrels 'Rosea' more than live up to their name. More typically the flowers of the parent plant are white or yellow. This low-growing plant forms clumps suitable for edging, containers, or patios.
Wood sorrels 'Molten Lava'
Wood sorrels 'Molten Lava' is a shamrock or oxalis variant, which has a range of appealing autumnal hues to its leaves. It is a perennial typically grown as an annual, and it blooms from late spring to mid-summer, providing delightful color and fine, dense texture to the garden.
Finger-leaf oxalis
Oxalis palmate is great as a houseplant or ground cover. These plants have blue-green fern foliage and large, deep pink flowers. They produce tiny bulbs in masses and then sprout into large, showy blooms afterward. It’s considered invasive in some parts of the world.
Iron cross 'Iron Cross'
Iron cross 'Iron Cross' has clover-like leaves with a distinct purple cross at the center, making it a popular ornamental plant.
Yellow eyed sorrel
Yellow eyed sorrel, is a low-growing, herbaceous perennial native to South Africa. Its yellow flowers attract bees and butterflies. The plant contains oxalic acid, which can be toxic in large amounts.
Peppermint rock sorrel
The peppermint rock sorrel is certainly a unique flowering plant - its eye-catching flowers start as tightly pointed red and white buds that look like candy canes. For this reason, the plant is also known as 'Candy cane sorrel.' It is often cultivated for ornamental purposes and even gained the Award of Garden Merit by the British Royal Horticultural Society.
Barrelier's woodsorrel
Barrelier's woodsorrel (Oxalis barrelieri) is a hermaphrodite, part male, and part female. And so with the help of butterflies and other insects it attracts, it can self-propagate. You won't see this small plant in gardens, since its small, pretty white flowers are quite unassuming, but it's common to roadsides and meadows in Central America and other warm climates.
Drummond's woodsorrel
Drummond's woodsorrel (Oxalis drummondii) is an attractive wildflower that does best in meadows and grasslands where it can soak up the sunlight. Though technically edible, drummond's woodsorrel has a strong sour flavor and is rarely eaten.
Redwood-Sorrel
Redwood-Sorrel (Oxalis oregana) is a perennial creeping vine that will grow from 10 to 25 cm tall. Rose-pink to white flowers adorned with lavender veining bloom from spring to fall. The foliage is lovely with velvety leaves that are similar to clove leaves. Grows well in full or partial shade.
Pale pink-sorrel
When the pale pink-sorrel flowers are open, the petals flare outwards, unlike the wood sorrel. It is native to South Africa and is grown as an ornamental plant worldwide. This plant's heart-shaped green leaves are edible; however, they should not be consumed in excessive numbers due to their high oxalic acid concentration.
Mountain wood-sorrel
The specific epithet in the scientific name of mountain wood-sorrel (Oxalis montana) is “montana,” which means “mountain.” That’s because it’s a shade-loving species that thrives best at higher elevations. This is a plant that’s indigenous to eastern North America. Other names for it include wood shamrock and white woodsorrel.
Common wood sorrel
Common wood sorrel (Oxalis acetosella) is a creeping herb widespread in woodlands and shady places of Europe and most of Asia. Its Latin name comes from a distinct lemony sour taste. Its leaves will fold up when it gets dark and during the rain. In Irish tradition, it is one of the plants known as shamrock, a symbol of St. Patrick's Day.
Broadleaf woodsorrel
Broadleaf woodsorrel (Oxalis latifolia) is a herbaceous perennial that will grow to 30 cm tall. It grows from a system of small bulbs and has no stem. The heart-shaped leaves and pink five-petaled flowers. It is considered a noxious weed that invades and infests many crops.
False shamrock
False shamrock (Oxalis triangularis) is a native lobed perennial plant that grows throughout South America. The three-leaved shape gives this plant its name, but the leaves are also remarkable for their purple color. This color makes the false shamrock a popular ornamental plant for hanging baskets. This plant is edible but should be consumed only in small amounts due to the presence of oxalic acid.
Slender yellow woodsorrel
The slender yellow woodsorrel flowers have five yellow petals that are between 5 to 10 mm. The easily distinguishable leaves come in threes and are 1.02 to 2 cm wide. The slender yellow woodsorrel can be found globally with likely origins somewhere in North America.
Large-flowered pink-sorrel
Large-flowered pink-sorrel can be annuals or perennials that have anywhere from three to ten leaflets. Due to their similar appearance, these plants are often mistakenly referred to as clover. Several cultivars are grown as container plants, while others are used in ornamental gardens. Foliage color ranges from light green to dark purple.
False shamrock 'Fanny'
False shamrock 'Fanny' is a compact False shamrock cultivar that grows to just 15 cm as opposed to 50 cm like the parent plant. Each leaf of this variety is in the shape of a heart and adorned with silver margins. It is not clear why it is named 'Fanny.'
False shamrock 'Charmed Wine'
False shamrock 'Charmed Wine' is a beautiful indoor plant with heart-shaped, purple foliage and delicate pink flowers. It grows well in partial to full shade and is perfect for a hanging basket or as a tabletop plant. Its leaves fold at night, giving it the nickname 'sleeping beauty'. Caution: it contains oxalic acid and can be toxic to pets if ingested.
Shamrock
The shamrock is a plant that gardeners love and hate in equal measure. It is a prolific bloomer, sometimes year-round, but it’s also extremely invasive. In a warm, sunny area it can take over an entire garden plot in one season, pushing out other cultivated plants.
Least yellow sorrel
Least yellow sorrel (Oxalis exilis) is native to New Zealand and Tasmania. The leaflets are heart-shaped, and the small flower is yellow. It is one of the smallest plants in New Zealand. Least yellow sorrel commonly inhabits wastelands and arable land, and can also become a garden weed.
Violet woodsorrel
Native to much of the United States, Oxalis violacea sprouts from an underground bulb and can produce leaf stems between 6 to 13 cm tall. The flower clusters on these stems can reach heights of 9 to 23 cm. The appearance is not unlike that of a shamrock, and its lavender to white flowers bloom during spring.
Iron cross
This perennial forms full mounds of heart-shaped leaves that grow in the shape of a cross. It blooms bright pink flowers through summer and fall, and is a good choice for containers and rock gardens. Iron cross leaves can technically be considered edible, but their oxalic acid content can make them somewhat hazardous if eaten in quantity.
Creeping woodsorrel
Creeping woodsorrel (Oxalis corniculata) is a flowering herb which grows aggressively. The leaves have a lemony flavor and are often made into tea that's rich in vitamin C. However, if ingested in large amounts the oxalic acid for which the genus is named can begin to block the body's calcium absorption.
Pink-sorrel
Pink-sorrel (Oxalis articulata) is a perennial flowering plant that grows in temperate climates throughout its native South America. Pink-sorrel is popular for ornamental ground cover growth in China and Turkey. It is susceptible to fungal disease.
Bermuda buttercup
Bermuda buttercup (Oxalis pes-caprae) is a plant species native to South Africa. Bermuda buttercup grows low to the ground and has leaves that look like shamrocks. This plant is also known as African wood-sorrel, soursop, and sourgrass.
Pink woodsorrel
Pink woodsorrel (Oxalis debilis) is a flowering herb that can now be found on every inhabited continent. All the parts of pink woodsorrel are edible, but only in small amounts due to the presence of oxalic acid. The flavor is zesty and similar to lemon. This species can become a weed if not adequately controlled.
Scientific Classification
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