- Author: Brenda Altman
It's spring time! Hooray
It's going to be another successful year of gardening. My favorite flower Oxalis corniculata has already bloomed. I am probably a good oxalis gardener because everywhere I go I can propagate this plant successfully. It has these cute yellow flowers which look great in a seas of green leaves. It has three heart shaped leaves reminding me of clovers. So far I have not found the elusive four leaf Oxalis. It has a single long lap root which at the surface produces several creeping stems. One of the more exciting properties of this plant is when the seeds mature, the pods open explosively spreading its seeds 10 feet or more. Wow! This is one aggressive plant!
The nice thing about growing oxalis is that you can basically plant them and leave them. They will take over everything, invade your lawn, invade your greenhouse, and invade your flower beds. You gotta love a plant that has that kind of vigor. You never have to add fertilizer or any other organic matter. Caution a heavy 3” layer of mulch will inhibit its growth and ruin your flower enjoyment. Likewise heavy pulling up the plant and its taproot will slow its spread. But don't worry you probably won't get every oxalis and they'll return again and again. Nursery and plant stores don't usually sell oxalis but I am sure you can find willing gardeners who will gratefully give you some seeds or plants.
Oxalis prefers the shade and will fold their leaves in the sun. I've been fairly successful letting them grow in full sun. For best results start them in a shaded area but never ever cover them with mulch. Other tips include remove other plants around the oxalis as they will compete for available water.
Unfortunately if you prefer California native plants in your garden Oxalis is a native plant of Europe which has overstayed its visa. Enjoy this non-native, just sit back do nothing and enjoy the pretty yellow flowers!
