Species · genus Oxalis · Oxalidaceae

Wood Sorrel

Oxalis triangularis A.St.-Hil.

Also known as: False Shamrock · Purple Shamrock

Growth habit

tuberous geophyte

Native range

Argentina Northeast, Argentina Northwest, Bolivia, Brazil North, Brazil Northeast, Brazil South, Brazil Southeast, Brazil West-Central, Paraguay, Peru

Reference · O. triangularis

Cultivars of O. triangularis

The named forms growers keep — each with its own page, each honest about how much we know.

No named cultivars catalogued under O. triangularis yet. When growers document a stable, named form, it earns its own page here.

Guide

The species-level account. Cultivar pages build on this and say where they differ.

Oxalis triangularis is a tuberous geophyte from subtropical South America, storing water and energy in underground tubers that rot if kept soggy. Give it bright indirect light and let the top inch or two of mix dry out before watering again. It naturally cycles through periods of dormancy, when foliage dies back and watering should be reduced until new growth appears.

Care recipe

The species record — the baseline every cultivar inherits unless it says otherwise.

Care notes are early — not yet verified

Light: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Water: ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 7-14d)
Humidity: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Soil: ai:claude-fable-5
Care: ai:claude-fable-5

Light

Bright, indirect

Water

≈ every 14 days

Humidity

Medium

Temperature

10–25 °C

Soil mix

Loose, well-draining potting mix with some grit

Propagation

Divide the small bulbs after a dormancy rest

Fertilizing

Balanced liquid feed monthly during active growth

Growth rate

Moderate

Flowering

Small pale-pink flowers above deep-purple triangular leaves

ToxicityAuthoritative · species

Toxic to cats & dogs & humans

Oxalidaceae accumulate soluble oxalates, which can be harmful if ingested in quantity. This is where toxicity lives: every cultivar of this species inherits it and none can override it.

Reference images

Every image credited. Licenses link to their deeds.

No reference gallery yet

A few clear photos — habit, a mature leaf, a flower if it blooms — would give this page its eyes.

Add images

Sources: ai:claude-opus-4-8 · ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 7-14d) · ai:claude-fable-5 · ai:claude-opus-4-8 (family inference)

Kept true by its growers

Every fact here carries its source. Grow Wood Sorrel yourself? What you’ve observed — how it drinks, how it holds its color, a name that’s off — is exactly what keeps this page honest. Contributions are reviewed before anything changes.