Oxalis flower (Oxalis) is a herbaceous perennial and annual plant of the Oxalis family, numbering more than 800 species and growing in South Africa, South and Central America, and Central Europe.

Homemade lucky clover

The Irish national St. Patrick, the most revered saint of the country, is characterized by high decorative qualities and is quite popular in indoor cultivation.

Oxygen (in Latin oxys) is called for the sour taste of the leaves, in Europe it is called the clover of happiness, in Russia - hare cabbage.

A specific feature of oxalis is its ability to slowly fold its leaves and close its flowers when night falls, in cloudy weather, or when touched. In Europe, indoor oxalis is popular as a gift for the New Year tree: it is believed that a flower with purple, green or burgundy leaves will definitely bring good luck and prosperity if it settles in the house a day before the New Year.

Popular indoor species

Having many species, when grown indoors, sorrel is represented by the two most popular: triangular and four-leaf.

Triangular oxalis (otherwise known as purple oxalis), native to Brazil, is a tuberous plant with trilobed purple leaves located on long petioles. It is for the leaves, externally associated with the fluttering wings of a butterfly, that the violet oxalis flower is also called “Madame Butterfly”. The flowers of the indoor pet are small, lilac, light pink or white in color. Propagated by rhizomes.

Oxalis four-leaf (Deppe), called by the British “lucky clover” or “iron cross”, is characterized by four-lobed obverse-heart-shaped leaves of a light green color with a brown-red middle.

The flowers are crimson-red, with the base collected in inflorescences. Flowering, starting in August, four-leaved wood sorrel pleases for quite a long period, until October.

Oxalis in all its diversity

In open ground conditions, you can grow the oxalis Bovey flower, characterized by thin, long peduncles and leathery green leaves. Flowering occurs in May.

The trifoliate leaves of common sorrel, a perennial rhizomatous plant about 10 cm high, are very similar to clover. The flowers are white, arranged solitary. The shoots are creeping and actively fill the free space during growth, so the plant is widely used as a ground cover.

Ferruginous oxalis is a winter-hardy crop that forms low bushes, about 15 cm in diameter. Flowering occurs in mid-summer (June-July). The flowers are silvery, quite large, with pink streaks. The gray-green leaves consist of multiple oval-shaped lobes.

Oxalis multicolored is very beautiful in cultivation with its white flowers decorated with a red border along the edge.

Shaggy sorrel is a stemless flower about 30 cm high, forming tubers. The leaves consist of 5-9 leaflets, on the underside of which red spots are clearly visible. Purple-red flowers of several pieces are collected in umbrella-shaped inflorescences. Flowering is abundant and occurs in August-October.

Poor sorrel stands out from the background of other types of oxalis with its attractive dark pink flowers with yellow in the middle. The plant is small-tuberous, with trifoliate leaves located on thin petioles. The flower is optimal for growing in open ground; it prefers sunny areas.

Red sorrel is a perennial crop, up to 40 cm in height, with trifoliate leaves, fleecy closer to the base, and attractive red flowers.

Volcanic acid is a low-growing (no more than 15 cm in height) plant with small yellow flowers. It grows well, occupying free areas. Forming a continuous grass carpet, it is ideal for alpine slides and flower beds. Can be grown in indoor floriculture and open ground.

It is considered a weed due to active uncontrolled growth. Characterized by small yellow flowers and cherry-brown leaves.

Of the available species of oxalis, giant sorrel stands out for its impressive size. The crop, capable of reaching 2 meters in height, has straight shoots, drooping branches, three-lobed leaves and attractive yellow flowers.

Oxalis nine-leaved is a low plant that forms solid silver-green carpets decorated with white and pink flowers. Flowering period is May-June.

Oxalis Ortgis is a low herbaceous flower with pubescent stems and apical trifoliate brownish-red leaves, characterized by an obverse heart shape. small, up to 1.5 cm in diameter, collected in inflorescences. Yellow. This type of sorrel is common in indoor growing.

Oxalis: care at home

When grown at home, oxalis is absolutely unpretentious and is limited to the measures necessary for normal growth: watering, fertilizing, spraying, comfortable temperature, the optimal indicator of which in summer is 20-25 ºC. In winter, the plant enters a period of dormancy (1-1.5 months), during which cool conditions are recommended, not higher than 12-18 ºC. At this time, oxalis (the photo demonstrates all the charm of this plant) stops growing and can shed its leaves, thus indicating the onset of a rest period.

Lighting should be intensely diffused, without allowing direct sunlight, which can cause burns. When grown at home, oxalis is tolerant in partial shade, but if it stays in it for a long time, it may lose its decorative leaves.

Watering and fertilizing measures

High-quality care for oxalis involves timely fertilizing with complex mineral fertilizers. They need to be applied once every 2-3 weeks, during active growth and flowering; in this case, the concentration of the composition should be 2 times less than that indicated on the packaging.

The plant needs abundant regular watering in the summer (without stagnation of water) and its reduction with the onset of cold weather. As soon as new shoots begin to appear, the flower should be transplanted into a new substrate, returned to its usual place of growth, and fertilizing and watering should be resumed.

Transplanting a plant

Young flowers are transplanted every year into a mixture consisting of leaf and turf soil, sand and humus in equal proportions. To avoid stagnation of moisture, the bottom of the pot must be covered with a drainage layer of expanded clay. For adult plants, this procedure should be carried out once every 2-3 years.

Diseases and pests

Oxalis is a plant that is quite resistant to disease. If not properly cared for, it can be damaged by spider scale insects and aphids. They should be controlled by using insecticides. “Aktellik” is effective against spider mites, aphids can be overcome with a soap solution (1 teaspoon of liquid soap per 1 glass of water), scale insects are removed mechanically (hand collection), after which the plant must be sprayed with “Aktara”. After a week, it is advisable to repeat the treatment. Be sure to protect the soil in which the plant is located from the ingress of drugs.

If watered too zealously, the sorrel can develop fusarium or gray rot. In this case, the drug “Fundazol” is effective.

Oxalis: propagation at home

Oxalis is a flower crop that can be propagated in several ways. Oxalis reproduces in natural conditions by seeds that ripen in a plant shell that easily explodes when touched, but when grown indoors this method is unpopular due to its duration. In early spring, the seeds of the plant should be scattered over the surface of the soil, consisting of 4 parts leaf humus and peat and one part sand. Do not cover the seed. The planting container must be covered with glass in order to provide one hundred percent humidity necessary for germination. The lighting should be diffused, the temperature should be 16-18 °C, the soil should be constantly moist. For watering, it is recommended to use a spray bottle. An important factor in the success of the event is daily ventilation of the crops. Germination of seedlings will occur within a month.

We propagate vegetatively

The simplest propagation method is to separate the nodules or daughter bulbs of oxalis during spring replanting. Planting should be done several times in one container, which is then placed in a cool, shaded place. The soil should be moistened occasionally. As soon as the first shoots appear, it is recommended to move the pot with the future plant closer to the light. In a month and a half, a beautiful, luxuriously blooming bush will stand in this place.

Also, the oxalis flower can be propagated by nodules. To do this, after waiting for the first new leaf to appear after a dormant period, the tuber should be removed from the soil, cleaned and washed in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Then cut into pieces, treat the sections with crushed charcoal. Planting of oxalis, or rather the resulting cuttings, is done in separate containers, which should be placed in a place with diffused lighting. Twice a month, from the second week of planting, the future plant should be fed; Moisturize the soil after the soil surface has dried.

Medicinal properties of oxalis

Oxalis (see photo below) is a medicinal plant whose properties have been appreciated by traditional medicine since ancient times.

The above-ground part of the bush was used to treat scurvy, treat wounds and ulcers, and was used as an antidote for mercury and arsenic poisoning. The high content of vitamin C in sorrel helps eliminate colds and strengthen the immune system.

Oxalis or oxalis (from the Latin Oxalis - “sour”) belongs to the genus of herbaceous annual and perennial plants of the Oxalis family. It is also grown outdoors, but oxalis is of particular interest at home. It looks great as a decoration, thanks not only to the beautiful flowers, but also to the unusual, exquisite leaves. Oxalis (Oxalis) pleases its owners with a pleasant aroma of flowers.

Did you know? On Christmas Eve, pots of sorrel are in great demand in many countries. They are given to family, friends and relatives as a symbol of happiness and good luck.

Those who have not previously grown oxalis, but would like to grow this wonderful plant, will find the most useful information in this article. Here are the best tips for growing, caring for, propagating and treating oxalis.

What conditions are needed in a house to grow oxalis?

Oksalis comes from hot countries, which in itself speaks of some factors that must be considered when growing it at home.

Did you know? In total, there are about 800 different varieties of sorrel. It grows not only in Europe, South and North America, although most varieties came from there. Brazil is considered the birthplace of oxalis, where it has been grown for many centuries for decorative purposes.

The main thing in this matter is to choose the right location and observe the temperature regime. Although wood sorrel is not a particularly demanding plant, failure to comply with basic conditions can greatly affect the growth and appearance of the bush. The leaves have an interesting feature: in cloudy weather they fold, and in the morning they open again, for which oxalis is sometimes called a “butterfly-like flower.”

Place in the house and lighting

This plant requires good lighting. If possible, it is worth placing a flowerpot with a bush in the western or southern part of the room. If the flower grows on the north side, an additional light source may be required. Oxalis is usually planted in a flower pot, sometimes in a flowerpot. In summer, it can also be transplanted to a garden plot.

Did you know?Another popular name for wood sorrel is “flowers day and night” because of the very peculiarity of folding its leaves at night or in bad weather.

Temperature: summer-winter

In summer, wood sorrel feels best when the temperature varies from + 20 to + 25 °. With the onset of cold weather, the flower goes into a dormant stage, therefore, for sour at this time, the temperature should be in the range of + 14- + 18 °.

How to care for sorrel at home

It is not difficult to observe the above conditions, then we will consider the main points when caring for sour. Although she loves bright light, keep in mind that direct sunlight can burn the leaves, leaving burns in the form of brown and yellowish spots. In addition, the plant must be properly watered and fed in a timely manner.

Watering and air humidity

Oxalis loves moisture. If your apartment is hot, then the flower should be sprayed daily with water at room temperature, and watered at least 2-3 times a week. After the onset of cold weather, watering should be limited so that the soil remains slightly moist, and spraying should be avoided.

Important! For different varieties of sorrel, the conditions may be slightly different. So, for example, in the Deppei sour variety, the duration of the sleep stage lasts from December to the end of January, and watering is not needed at this time, in Pink, sleep begins in October and lasts until the end of November, and Orgtis is contraindicated for watering throughout the entire winters.

Resume watering or increase its intensity should be when the plant begins to show young shoots. After this, it is also recommended to move the plant to a warmer room, if possible.

Plant nutrition

Oxalis must be fertilized from April to September(during the phase of active growth and flowering). It will be enough to do this once every 2-3 weeks. Mineral fertilizers, preferably complex ones, are best suited. Experienced gardeners strongly recommend using a solution concentration that is 2 times weaker than that indicated by the manufacturer in the instructions.

How to properly transplant sorrel into a new pot

Oxalis is replanted annually. After the dormant period, it is necessary to plant not one, but several bulbs or nodules, with the obligatory addition of drainage. It is better to take a wider flower pot for oxalis. The substrate, container and drainage must be new.

If the plant was given proper care, then within a year it grows well and takes on the appearance of a lush bush. At the same time, transplanting oxalis becomes a mandatory ritual when growing at home. It is better to take a larger new pot if you do not plan to divide or remove part of the plant. If you plan to remove a part, then the size of the container can not be changed.

Important! The optimal time for transplanting oxalis is the spring.

We fill the new vessel with drainage (about a third). This should ensure water drainage and avoid problems associated with overwatering. After that, we fall asleep the substrate. You can buy it at any flower shop or make your own. To do this, you need to take equal parts of river sand, peat, leaf soil and humus. In addition, experienced gardeners recommend adding some coconut flakes to the substrate. Good soil is very important for sour.

At the same time, it is very important not to overdo it with fertilizers. The development of the plant depends on the quality of the soil and the ratio of components. In the case of triangular sorrel, excess nutrients will only benefit the foliage at the expense of lush flowering.

How does wood sorrel reproduce?

Propagation is also an important aspect of growing oxalis. There are many methods of propagation, but at home, sorrel is most often propagated using tubers, bulbs, cuttings or leaves. Let's take a closer look at each of them.

Tubers and bulbs

Since these 2 methods are essentially identical, they can be considered together. Bulbs or tubers should be looked for near the old rhizome; they grow there. They are planted in groups of 5–10 bulbs (nodules), and sprinkled with a little soil on top. Oxalis planted in this way grows and develops quite quickly. It will only take 4 weeks and you will have a full-fledged plant grown with your own hands.

Cuttings

For this method, we need to prepare cuttings by cutting shoots from an already mature plant. They need to be placed in a container with water; it will take 2-3 weeks to get the first shoots. When their length reaches 1.5 cm, the cuttings must be transplanted to continue the development of the plant. Pots with soil need to be prepared in advance. In the photo (see below) you can see newly transplanted young cuttings.

Plant wood sorrel (lat. Oxalis) belongs to the genus of herbaceous annuals and perennials of the Kislichnaya family. In nature, oxalis flowers grow in South Africa, as well as in Central and South America and even in Europe. Oxalis is the national symbol of Ireland, the plant of St. Patrick, the most revered righteous man in the country. "Oxys" means "sour" in Latin, and the plant is named oxalis because its leaves have a sour taste. About 800 species of oxalis are known in nature, and some of the oxalis appeared in cultivation in the 17th century and have since been grown both as garden and indoor plants. In our country, sorrel is called “hare cabbage,” and in Europe it is called “clover of happiness.” The oxalis flower has become popular in culture due to its low maintenance requirements and high decorative qualities.

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Planting and caring for sorrel

• Bloom: from late May or early June until winter.
• Lighting: bright diffused light.
• Temperature: during the growing season – 20-25 ˚C, during the dormant period – 12-18 ˚C.
• Watering: in summer - plentiful, in autumn and winter moderate to scanty.
• Air humidity: usual for residential premises, but in extreme heat it is advisable to spray the plant from time to time.
• Feeding: during the period of active growth, once every 2-3 weeks with complex mineral fertilizers in half the dosage specified in the instructions.
• rest period: one to one and a half months after flowering.
• Transfer: young plants are replanted annually, adults - once every 2-3 years.
• Reproduction: daughter bulbs or nodules, less often – seeds.
• Pests: scale insects, aphids, spider mites.
• Diseases: gray rot, fusarium.
• Properties: medicinal plant with a high content of vitamin C in the leaves.

Read more about growing sorrel below.

Oxalis flower - description

Oxalises are represented by many species, among them are annual, perennial, tuberous and bulbous plants. The leaves of the oxalis are palmate or trifoliate, petiolate, with a complex limb, folding in the evening and opening in the morning. Leaves also react to too bright light and mechanical irritation. The color of the leaves, depending on the type of acid, can be green, purple or burgundy. The flowers of the oxalis are medium-sized, regular, the color of the petals can be white, pink, lilac or yellow. The flowers, like the leaves of the plant, close at night or before bad weather. Oxalis seeds ripen in a shell that explodes easily when touched when the seeds are ripe.

Oxalis at home is most often represented by two types - four-leaved sour and triangular sour. Room sour is a popular gift under the Christmas tree in Europe, since there is a sign that the plant brings happiness and prosperity to the house if it settles in it the day before the New Year.

Caring for oxalis at home

How to care for sorrel

Indoor flower oxalis has the same requirements for growing conditions as its wild relative. She needs intense but diffused light with shading from the direct rays of the sun. The temperature in the summer time is preferred by domestic sorrel in the range of 20-25 ºC, which, however, is quite natural for this time of year. In winter, it is advisable to lower the temperature a little - to 12-18 ºC, otherwise the plant will not bloom.

Watering in the summer should be plentiful, but at the same time, stagnation of water in the roots should not be allowed. With the onset of autumn, watering is reduced, and in winter, moistening the soil in a pot with sour should be symbolic so that the soil is barely wet. Oxalis houseplant does not need spraying the leaves, although if the house is too hot and stuffy, you can spray the plant with boiled water. In winter, spraying oxalis is contraindicated.

Some species of wood sorrel rest in winter. The rest period lasts a month and a half. If you notice that the plant begins to lose leaves after flowering, reduce watering and move the flower to a cool place where it will rest. Sometimes the leaves from the sorrel tree do not fall, it simply stops growing, as if frozen - this is a sign that it is time to move it to a “winter apartment” to recuperate. At this time, watering should be minimal. But as soon as you discover that the plant has begun to appear new shoots, transplant it into fresh substrate, return it to its usual place, and resume watering and fertilizing.

Oxalis fertilizer

Caring for homemade sorrel requires timely feeding of the plant with complex mineral fertilizers. They are applied during the period of active growth and flowering every 2-3 weeks, and the concentration of the solution should be half that recommended by the manufacturer.

Oxalis transplant

Caring for indoor oxalis requires annual replanting of young plants; adult plants are replanted once every two to three years. If you don't know how to replant sorrel, start by choosing a pot. A pot for oxalis needs to be wide so that you can plant several tubers or bulbs in one container - this way you will get a luxurious flowering bush. A drainage layer is placed at the bottom of the pot so that excess water does not stagnate in the roots of the plant.

Any soil is suitable for wood sorrel - buy a universal soil in the store or make a soil mixture yourself from leaf, turf, peat soil and sand in equal parts. Please note that if the soil is too nutritious, the plant will have many leaves and few flowers. Planting sorrel in a new pot is done with great care, together with a lump of earth, if you do not intend to start propagating it this time.

Pests and diseases of oxalis

If it is not possible to destroy the pests at once, after a week the treatment of the plant with medicinal preparations must be repeated. Do not forget that all manipulations are carried out in clean air, and the soil surface must be reliably protected from contact with drugs. A few hours after application to the above-ground part of the plant, the soap solution should be washed off with water, similarly covering the soil from soap getting into it.

If you are too zealous with watering and did not bother to place a layer of drainage under the soil, the plant may be affected by gray rot or fusarium. Both diseases in the initial stage can be successfully treated with foundationazole.

House sorrel - reproduction

Growing sorrel from seeds

Under natural conditions, wood sorrel reproduces by seeds. The seed method of propagating oxalis at home is rarely resorted to, since there are more reliable methods of reproduction - vegetative. But if it is important for you to grow oxalis from seeds, then we wish you success and offer a list of conditions and measures for the successful generative reproduction of oxalis:

• composition of the mixture for sowing: four parts each of leaf humus and peat and one part sand;
• Oxalis seeds are scattered over the surface of the soil in early spring without covering them; after sowing, the container is covered with glass, since germination requires 100% humidity;
• for seed germination you also need diffused light, a temperature of 16-18 ºC and constantly moist soil - watering the crops is carried out from a spray bottle;
• Daily ventilation of crops is necessary.

If all these conditions are met, seedlings, depending on the freshness of the seeds, will appear a week to a month after sowing.

Vegetative methods of propagation of sorrel

The easiest way to replant oxalis annually in spring is to separate the daughter bulbs or nodules that have formed around the tap root and plant several of them in one pot, sprinkled with a small amount of soil, placing the container in a cool, shaded place and occasionally moistening the soil. When shoots appear, the pot is moved closer to the light, and in a month and a half the young plant will turn into a lush flowering bush.

After the dormant period, as soon as the first new leaf appears, the tuber is removed from the ground, cleared of soil, washed in a weak solution of potassium permanganate, cut into pieces, treated with crushed charcoal and the sections are planted in separate pots. Pots with planted parts of the tuber are placed under diffused light, watered after the earthen ball has dried out and fed twice a month, starting from the second week after planting.

Properties of sorrel

For a long time, sorrel has been considered a medicinal plant. The above-ground part of the plant was used to treat scurvy, to treat ulcers and wounds, as an antidote for arsenic or mercury poisoning. Traditional medicine has successfully used the anthelmintic, choleretic, anti-inflammatory, diuretic and wound-healing properties of the plant.

Due to the high content of vitamin C in sour leaves, its consumption helped cope with colds and strengthened the immune system. Oxalis is also in demand in cooking: tasty and healthy tea was prepared from it, and added to cabbage soup, green borscht or kvass.

Types of oxalis

Oxalis triangularis

Or purple sorrel, grown indoors more often than other species, it is a low tuberous plant with dark purple spotted trilobed leaves on long petioles. The violet sorrel leaf resembles the fluttering wings of a butterfly, for which it was called “Madame Butterfly.” The flowers of this species are small, white, light pink or lilac.

Four-leaf sorrel (Oxalis tetraphylla)

Or Deppe's wood sorrel (Oxalis deppei) grown both in the garden and at home. Its leaves are four-lobed, light green with a red-brown center. It blooms for a long time with red-crimson flowers forming inflorescences. It is this species that the British call “lucky clover.”

Most gardeners prefer to plant eye-catching flowers with bright blooms in their flower beds. But some of them still do not forget about such modest creatures as garden sorrel. It will not surprise you with its chic appearance and large inflorescences, but the plant’s character is the most unpretentious. Tall species seem to be created for. Compact miniature varieties create a delicate carpet of interesting leaves with small flowers.

One of the main advantages of garden sorrel is its natural protection against pests. Sour leaves are not to the taste of any insect.

Where to plant

Its color directly depends on where the sorrel grows. In general, it prefers partial shade, where the leaves acquire a rich dark color. In addition, in such places moisture lingers longer, which is vital for the flower.

How to plant wood sorrel in a flowerbed

There are two ways to get wood sorrel on your property:

1. Seeds. In the southern regions they can be sown directly into open ground. In the rest, it is better to first grow seedlings and transplant them into a flowerbed in the second half of May.
2. Children or divisions. They can also be planted immediately outside or first germinate indoors. When planting, you don’t need to go deep; 10 cm is enough. The same distance is left between the nodules.

How to care for garden oxalis

With the right location, there is only one thing left to take care of: watering the garden sorrel in a timely manner. It won’t survive without moisture, but without fertilizing it can. But in order to stimulate lush and long-lasting flowering, it is better to add a mineral complex 3 times per season.

Garden sorrel: wintering features

Oxalis by their nature are perennial plants, but they are unlikely to survive our winters in the open ground. Although some species in the southern regions winter under the condition of shelter.

With the onset of autumn, the foliage of the bushes growing in the flowerbed begins to fade. From this point on, watering should be gradually reduced. Before frost, the sorrel must be dug up. The tubers are either dried or planted in a wide container with light soil and brought indoors. If the flower grows in pots, it is even easier to do this by simply moving the flower pots to the basement. Already in April, the nodules will begin to produce young leaves. Then the container can be exposed to light. With the arrival of warmer weather, you can transplant the sorrel into the flowerbed again.

During wintering in the basement, oxalis is not watered.

Some gardeners simply move the wood sorrel into the house, transforming it into a houseplant. This is quite possible, but it is better to give the flower time to rest between blooms.

Video about growing oxalis in the garden

Oxalis ( lat. Oxalis) - a genus of annual, often perennial herbs, sometimes subshrubs of the family Oxalis (Oxalidaceae).

The Latin name of the genus reflects the sour taste of the plant ( "oxys"- spicy).

The genus contains about 800 species, growing in South Africa, South and Central America, with only a few species found occasionally in Central Europe.

Kislitsa has a creeping, sometimes knobby rhizome.

Oxalis leaves are alternate, mostly trifoliate or palmate, equipped with petioles and a complex limb. The leaves are arranged palmately and sometimes pinnately. The leaves fold and fall with the change of day and night (nyctinasty), with mechanical irritation (seismonasty), in bright light (photonasty).

The flowers are regular, arranged in a quintuple type, the petals are white, pink or yellow, there are ten stamens. The ovary is five-lobed. Oxalis species are characterized by flowers of three variants (trimorphic) with different lengths of columns (heterostyly): long (above the long stamens), medium (at the level between the long and short stamens) and short (shorter than the short stamens); and the common sorrel has, in addition to ordinary flowers, cleistogamous flowers, that is, adapted to self-pollination.

The fruit is a capsule that opens along the valves. The seeds, of which there are several in each nest, are covered with a fleshy cover, which, when bursting, bounces elastically, facilitating the opening of the fruit and the scattering of seeds. According to L. van der Leijl, according to the method of distribution of diaspores, sorrel oxalis are ballistae; moreover, they are considered a well-known and characteristic example of ballistae: under the outer layer of the seed coat there is a layer of cells rich in sugar, which swell greatly by the time the seeds ripen; as a result of this, at a certain moment, the outer layer of the seed coat ruptures and forcefully throws the seeds out of the opened capsule.

The peculiarity of sorrel is its beautiful pink veins on the petals and “exploding” fruits, which, when ripe, are able to shoot small reddish seeds. The seeds themselves can “jump” to the side if you breathe gently on them. The fact is that when humidity changes, their shell bursts, dramatically changing shape. Another interesting feature: with the onset of night, in bad weather, in bright light, or with mechanical stimulation, their flowers slowly close, and the leaves fold and droop. Movement under the influence of these factors occurs as a result of changes in internal pressure (the so-called turgor) in the cells of leaves and petals.

Some forms can be planted outdoors under shrubs and trees, while others are grown only in greenhouses or living spaces. Among this plant there are weeds, the reproduction of which is very difficult to stop. Therefore, be careful when purchasing. They are often cultivated as indoor plants, although the bushes are very short-lived.

Types of oxalis

− a low plant grows everywhere in Europe, in coniferous, mixed, and less often deciduous forests. It is found in our forests and is widely known as hare cabbage, or sorrel. In Germany this plant is known as sour clover. The oxalis leaf, slightly reminiscent of a clover leaf, is depicted on the coat of arms of Ireland and is the emblem of this country.

A perennial 5-10 cm high with short shoots and a creeping thin underground rhizome covered with reddish fleshy scale-like leaves. The leaves are trifoliate, on long (up to 10 cm) segmented (thin at the base) petioles. The leaves are obversely heart-shaped, up to 2.5 cm long, 3 cm wide, sessile, covered with sparse appressed hairs. The flowers are regular, solitary, on axillary peduncles elongated to 7-10 cm, with small bracts located above the middle of the peduncle. The calyx is 4-4.5 cm, almost 3 times shorter than the corolla, of 5 lanceolate, ciliated along the edge, purple sepals at the top. Corolla of 5 white petals with pink or purple veins, often with a yellow spot at the base, up to 1.5 cm long, 0.7 cm wide, with straight nails and obovate plates. Rarely the petals are light purple or pinkish-purple. Ten stamens, the inner ones are 2 times longer than the outer ones. The ovary is superior, ovoid. 5 styles, stigmas capitate. The fruit is a light brown bare capsule up to 1 cm long and 0.5 cm wide. It blooms in May-June.

Oxalis is characterized by 2 types of flowers: ordinary − open (chasmogamous) pollinated by insects, and closed (cleistogamous) self-pollinating.

Cleistogamous flowers are very small (up to 3 mm in diameter), similar to buds, they are usually hidden in the forest litter. Cleistogamy is the most important adaptation of wood sorrel to life in dark coniferous forests, where there are few pollinating insects. When the fruits ripen, the seeds are scattered by the plant at a distance of up to 1 m. In addition, the seeds are carried by ants. Oxalis seeds remain viable for 4 years. Their germination occurs in early May. For 1 sq. m up to 30 shoots appear. The seedlings have delicate round-oval cotyledons. The first leaf appears in May, and by autumn a rosette of leaves is formed.

Already in the first year, cleistogamous flowers are formed in the leaf axils, from which fruits are formed in early October. By this time, long colorless horizontal shoots are formed in the axils of the lower leaves, which are located in the litter. In this state the plant overwinters. Next spring, rosettes of above-ground green leaves form in the axils of fleshy, colorless leaves on horizontal shoots. Already in May, these young plants bloom (chasmogamous flowers), and in June they disperse seeds. Cleistogamous flowers bloom in July, and their seeds disperse in September.

If the litter or soil is loose, then the clumps of wood sorrel grow, but if the soil is dense and there is no litter, then small clumps are formed. During the growing season, wood sorrel shoots usually have two growths: autumn-spring (starts in autumn, ends in spring) and summer (starts in June, ends in August). The leaves of the summer generation live 4 months, and the autumn-spring generation 11 months, replacing each other gradually, so the plant can photosynthesize all year round and belongs to the so-called winter-summer green species. The winter dormancy of wood sorrel is forced, but if you move it to a warm room in winter, it quickly begins to grow.

Endotrophic mycorrhiza was found in the roots of wood sorrel. This typical forest plant can withstand heavy shade, grows in moist, non-drying soil, is indifferent to soil reactions, prefers humus soils sufficiently rich in mineral nitrogen. Oxalis is characterized by the so-called “sleep” of leaves: at night and in cloudy weather, the leaves of the trifoliate leaf droop. Oxalis leaves contain vitamin C and oxalic acid, so they are sometimes eaten instead of sorrel. Sorrel tea is prepared from fresh leaves.

Var. Subpurpurascens− the frost-resistant garden form of common sorrel forms a continuous carpet on the soil surface. Its flowers are pink in color.

- the most common of garden oxalis. The plant is 8 cm tall and forms compact bushes up to 15 cm in diameter. The leaves are gray-green, consisting of numerous (9-22) oval lobes. Blooms in June-July. The flowers are large, silvery with pink streaks and spots. The view is winter-hardy.

Var. Minima− garden-shaped leaves are smaller than those of the original variation.

− the weed species most often penetrates gardens. It has beautiful cherry-brown leaves and small yellow flowers. Numerous above-ground shoots can clog not only flower beds, but also beds, so when you decide to plant this type of wood sorrel on a hill, keep a close eye on it, preventing it from growing uncontrollably.

- Originally from Mexico. One of the most famous wood sorrel with leaves consisting of 4 simple leaflets. They have reddish-brown spots, by which this species is always easy to recognize. It is believed that it brings happiness, since while in other species four-lobed leaves are a random deviation, in hers it is a regular pattern.

The plant is 25-35 cm tall, with graceful leaves, 3-4 cm long, notched at the tops, green with a purple-red pattern. The flowers are crimson-red, collected in an umbrella-shaped inflorescence, 2 cm long. It has underground edible corms. They are planted several at a time in a mixture of compost, leaf soil and sand in a ratio of 2:1:1 at the same time as the gladioli, and dug up for the winter.

- a small herbaceous plant with pubescent stems, at the top of which leaves are mainly formed. The leaves are trifoliate, each leaflet is up to 7 cm long, obversely heart-shaped, with a deep notch at the apex, brownish-red in color with pubescence. Flowers are up to 1.5 cm in diameter, yellow, collected in 5-10 pieces in an umbrella-shaped inflorescence. One of the most famous wood sorrel, grown in indoor floriculture.

Oxalis enneaphylla (Oxalis enneaphylla) - a perennial miniature plant 5-10 cm high, forming curtains with a diameter of about 15 cm. Much more whimsical than the previous species, but also very beautiful. From the tuberous shoot grow petiolate 9-20-fold long-lobed silver-gray-green leaves, and in May-June - white or pink flowers. The plant requires acidic, humus-rich soil, good drainage, a sunny location and winter shelter.

var. Alba− garden form with white flowers.
var. Minutifolia- a reduced copy of the original variation of nine-leaved oxalis, blooming in May-June.

− perennial plant, quite frost-resistant. Trifoliate leaves on thin petioles grow from small nodules, and then large dark pink flowers with a white center. It blooms in August-October, best in a sunny place. Propagates easily by tiny nodules.

− hybrid of two North American species Oxalis lacinata And Оxalis enneaphylla bred by E. B. Anderson.

More stable in culture than both parents. Distinguished by beautiful large fragrant pale purple flowers with dark purple veins. Blooms in early summer. Used for alpine slides. Requires a sunny, well-drained location and protection from winter dampness.

- a low plant with beautiful dark purple leaves and yellow flowers that bloom one after another all summer. Suitable for carpet beds and borders.

Oxalis pink or Happy clover (Oxalis rosea) - a plant 30-35 cm high that blooms profusely until late autumn. The leaves are bright green, trifoliate, tender, on long flexible petioles. It blooms with bright pink four-petaled flowers, which are collected in groups of 3-4 on a long peduncle, the diameter of the flowers is up to 3 cm. It is used as an ampelous indoor plant. Well suited for small spaces.

– has light green leaves on long petioles (30-35 cm) and golden-yellow flowers with red stripes. Used as a border plant, for planting in groups on lawns and flower beds.

− differs from other species in having four-syllable bronze-green leaves and pink flowers. The plant is 30-35 cm high, blooms until late autumn. This sorrel is also cultivated in rooms as an hanging plant.

is a heat-loving species with lavender-blue flowers rising above the foliage.

- rather tender and heat-loving oxalis with light green leathery leaves located on shoots 20-25 cm high. It blooms in May. Petals are dark pink.

- unpretentious hardy oxalis native to South Africa, having shoots 5-20 cm high. It grows in the form of curtains with a diameter of about 20 cm. Gray-green leaves are trifoliate. In summer it produces dark pink flowers with yellow centers.

− a very ornamental plant. Lives in coniferous and mixed forests, rarely. General distribution: Japan, China, Primorsky Krai (south). Perennial up to 20 cm tall, suitable for open ground. All leaves are basal, trifoliate. Leaflets up to 5 cm long, obversely triangular, with a small notch at the apex and sharp lateral lobes. Flowers are solitary on axillary peduncles, up to 2 cm in length.

− Mexican species is relatively winter-hardy. In summer, the plants produce pink-purple flowers. Non-hairy compound leaves consist of 5-10 simple leaflets.

− evergreen low-growing subshrubs up to 30 cm tall. Homeland - South America. Shoots are brown. The leaves are trifoliate, on petioles up to 3 cm long. The peduncle is axillary and bears several yellow flowers. It has a Rubra cultivar with red leaves. Suitable for indoor floriculture.

- rather tall oxalis with shoots up to 40 cm high. It is often planted in flower boxes. The leaves are trifoliate, the simple leaflets are fleecy at the base. In summer, red or pink flowers rise above them. The variety "Pink Dream" has light pink flowers.

- This Brazilian plant has white, pink or purple flowers and dark purple leaves. The small flowers look like those of the triangular sorrel. The non-frost-resistant plant is grown as a container or indoor plant.

Oxalis triangularis subsp.papilionacea , or Regnell's wood sorrel (Oxalis regnellii) − the plant looks very attractive. Its light green leaves consist of three lobes. In spring and summer, small white flowers appear in abundance above them. The species is relatively winter-hardy.

− perennial up to 12 cm tall. Homeland - South Africa. Extended escape. Dark rounded pubescent leaves 7 cm in diameter, forming rosettes of 8 leaves. Bright pink or white flowers. It is grown both indoors and outdoors.

- a non-frost-resistant plant native to South Africa. Arrived in Europe in 1774. Since then, it has been grown there in greenhouses and greenhouses. It has very interesting flowers. The buds appear red with white stripes, and when they open, the corolla is white on the inside and red on the outside.

. Its homeland is the slopes of volcanoes in Central America, where it grows at an altitude of about 3000 m above sea level. It is usually warm and humid there, and there is never frost. That is why sorrel does not tolerate even the slightest frost. When planted in pots or hanging baskets, this plant produces masses of small yellow flowers. Its shoots with green, slightly brownish leaves grow in the form of a thick curtain. Despite the fact that the total height of the bush is only 15 cm, it grows greatly in width and occupies a fairly large area.

White sorrel (Oxalis lactaea) − perennial plant. The smallest species also grows well, with dark, brownish-green, trifoliate leaves and delicate white flowers.

Oxalis care

Lighting. Oxalis prefers intense diffused light. Optimal for placing windows with east orientation. When placed on windows with a southern orientation, it is necessary to shade or create diffuse lighting from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. with translucent fabric or paper (for example: gauze, tulle). When placed on windows and balconies on the western side, they also create diffused light.

In the autumn-winter period, it is also necessary to provide good lighting.

The purchased plant should be gradually accustomed to more intense lighting. If in winter the number of sunny days was small, then in the spring with an increase in sunlight, the plant should also be gradually accustomed to more intense light.

Temperature. In spring and summer, wood sorrel prefers moderate air temperatures between 20-25°C. In winter it has a dormant period; plants are kept at 12-18°C depending on the species.

Ortgis oxalis requires a temperature of 16-18°C in winter.

For Deppei oxalis, during the dormant period (December-January), watering is stopped and the plant is stored in a cool, dry place (12-14°C). After the first shoots begin to appear, it is transplanted into a new earthen mixture, watering is resumed and gradually transferred to a warm room. After 30-40 days, flowering begins.

For rose sorrel, the dormant period is in October-November: for 30-40 days it is kept in a cool, bright room with a temperature of 12-14°C until new shoots appear, after which it is transferred to a bright room at room temperature.

Watering. In spring and summer, during active growth, abundant as the top layer of the substrate dries. In autumn, watering is reduced.

Ortgis oxalis is watered rarely in winter, only not allowing the soil to dry out completely. Nodules of Deppei's oxalis can be stored in a substrate in a cool room, so you don't have to water them 1.5 months before dormancy.

Air humidity. The plant loves regular spraying, especially in spring and summer. In the autumn-winter period without spraying.

Fertilizer. From April to August, sorrel is fed with complex mineral fertilizers for indoor plants. Feeding is carried out after 2-3 weeks.

Transfer. Every spring in a light soil mixture consisting of 1 part turf soil, 1 part leaf soil, 2 parts peat soil, 1 part humus soil and 1 part sand. The soil mixture for replanting a plant can consist of 2 parts leaf soil, 2 parts turf soil, 1 part peat soil with the addition of 1 part sand. The mixture is suitable for decorative foliage plants. Good plant growth is facilitated by drainage made of expanded clay or fine gravel located at the bottom of the container in which the oxalis is planted.

Reproduction. The plant is easily propagated by seeds. Seeds are sown in spring. In the first year, only rosettes of leaves and underground shoots are formed from the seeds, and in the 2nd year, the formation of clumps begins from the axils of the leaves of aboveground shoots and new rosettes will grow.

Successfully reproduces by nodules. Oxalis nodules Deppei are planted in February-March, 6-10 pieces in one pot, covered with a centimeter layer of soil on top. Composition of the soil: turf 2 parts, leaf 1 part, sand 1 part. Until roots form after planting, the plants are kept at a cool temperature (about 5-10°C) and watered lightly. Temperatures have been rising since the end of March.

Oxalis nodules can be planted in pots and flower beds at any time. Nodules of Deppei oxalis can be planted in the middle or end of October and you will have leafy plants by the New Year. Plant several of them in 7 cm pots, in a mixture of compost, leaf soil and sand in a ratio of 2:1:1. Before roots form, the pots are placed in a cool (5-10°C) place, and during germination they are transferred to a warm place.
When calculating the flowering time, it should be taken into account that the full development cycle from the moment the nodules are planted takes an average of 40 days. Thus, Deppei's wood sorrel, which is most often grown as a houseplant, after transplanting in the spring, can bloom all summer until late autumn.

A number of wood oxalis propagate not only by nodules, but also by cuttings (for example, Ortgis oxalis and hedysarium), which take root in the sand in 18–20 days at a temperature of 25°C. Plants are planted in a mixture of turf, leaf, humus soil and sand (1:1:1:1). Shading from direct sun is required.

Features during cultivation. Species in which the aboveground part does not die off in winter are kept in a moderately cool, well-lit room (16-18°C) and moderately watered 2-3 days after the top layer of the substrate has dried, with a small amount of water.

For species in which the aboveground part dies off during the winter, watering is reduced 1.5 months before the dormant period (October or December, depending on the species). Nodules remain in the ground, which can be stored in a substrate in a cool and well-lit room (12-14°C). Keep the substrate in a moderately moist state, but without drying out the earthen coma. When the first shoots appear, the plant is gradually transferred to a warm room. Flowering occurs in 30-40 days.

Possible difficulties

With prolonged and excessive watering, rotting of the roots and leaves occurs, the plant becomes sick with gray rot or fusarium.

Vomiting, normalizes the acidity of gastric juice, reduces blood pressure, is an antiscorbutic and antidote for mercury and arsenic poisoning. Infusions, decoctions and tinctures are used for diseases of the liver, kidneys, gall and bladder, gastritis, diathesis, cardiovascular diseases, bleeding, stomatitis, putrefactive processes in the oral cavity (for rinsing). Fresh juice from the leaves is used for fever, atherosclerosis, heart neurosis, and stomach cancer. Fresh leaves are eaten for scurvy and worms, and in crushed form (or juice) they are applied to purulent wounds, ulcers, and boils.

Oxalic acid potassium was found in the leaves of wood sorrel, which gives a sour taste to, for example, common wood sorrel, common in shady forests.

The knobby root shoots of some oxalis are eaten and even bred for this purpose. These are the tuberous sour (Oxalis tuberosa) and the fleshy sour (Oxalis carnosa), bred mainly in Chile under the name oka. The acid in the knobbly roots of these plants is replaced by sugar at the end of development, as in many fruits.

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