How To Grow Purple Shamrock | How To Care For Oxalis Triangularis

 Oxalis Triangularis Overview

Oxalis triangularis is often referred to as "purple shamrocks. Oxalis triangularis are not Irish natives; however – instead, they hail from Brazil.

Oxalis is a variety of the wood sorrel group and is well known for being an invasive weed in most gardens. However, some types of Oxalis are perfectly well behaved and don't spread all over the places, such as the Oxalis Triangularis.

How To Grow Purple Shamrock


Oxalis are excellent houseplants because they come in a range of colors and sizes. They are SO prolific that they are considered to be weeds to greenhouse growers and gardeners. Some would go through a dormant phase in the winter if they were kept as a houseplant. 

The striking purple leaves stand out amongst green indoor plants, and it's also photophilic, which mean that the leaves open and close in response to light. At night the leaves fold down, and during the day, they will open up. 

Flowering

Many small trumpet-shaped blooms sitting over the leaves arrive during spring and summer, which you can expect to last a fair few weeks.

Oxalis triangularis Care

Light

Keep your Oxalis Triangularis in a filtered bright to medium light but away from direct sunlight. It grows well in the morning light (i.e., East window). It is fairly hard to burn since Oxalis grows outdoors; the glass in your windows will filter out a lot of the intensity of the light. However, it will grow best when it's away from direct sunlight. Take a look at some of the images at the bottom of this article for the lighting suggestions.

Temperature

Between 60 - 70°F (15 - 21°C) "no higher than 75°F - 24°C" seems to be the ideal temperatures during the day and no lower than about 55°F (13°C) during the night.

Humidity

Any humidity level will do. Average room humidity is fine.

Soil For Oxalis Triangularis

Oxalis triangularis performs well when grown in standard potting mixes that drain well. The bulbs or fibrous roots will rot if planted in soils that are too heavy and retain too much water.

For the best results, use a rich, lightweight potting mix with or without the addition of a slow-release fertilizer. The addition of fertilizer into the potting mix only means you will not have to worry about fertilizing as frequently as you would with mixes lacking the addition of the fertilizer.

WATERING 

When watering your Oxalis, keep the soil a bit moist and allow the top inch of soil to dry out between watering. If your Oxalis is container-grown, it is recommended you drain the water from the bottom of the pot after watering. Too much water or poor drainage can cause root rot.

Once your plant has become dormant, it is best to stop watering the plant for about one month. When you notice new growth, you can resume your regular schedule.

Fertilizer

I don't find fertilizer necessary in new plants, but you could add every two months if the soil is older than a year. Premium potting mixes usually contain slow-release fertilizer for at least four months' worth.

Toxicity

Oxalis is classified as an edible plant. However, it's very bitter for humans. Oxalis is poisonous to cats and dogs if eaten.

PRUNING 

When foliage looks withered and begins to die off, this is probably a sign your plant is entering a normal dormant phase. After the foliage turns brown, you can remove the dead leaves and wait for the next growth phase. This could be anywhere from 2 to 4 weeks. When you begin to see new growth,  resume regular watering and feeding.

Repotting Oxalis Triangularis

The plant only requires repotting every few years to add fresh soil or create new plants from the additional offsets. Move up to a container that is one size larger if you aren't separating the offsets and are just refreshing the soil. The best time to repot is in winter during the plant's dormant stage.

Common Problems

SYMPTOM: Yellow leaves, mushy stems

CAUSE: Overwatered, root rot

SYMPTOM: Wilting brown leaves, crispy edges

CAUSE: Underwatered, low humidity 

SYMPTOM: No new growth

CAUSE: If the plant goes dormant, lightly fertilize and provide bright light and water

Pests

Slugs and snails may be a problem outdoors.

Diseases

Prone to rust diseases

How To Care For Oxalis Triangularis

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How To Grow and Care For Hoya Carnosa Tricolor

Image
Hoya Carnosa is also commonly referred to as a wax plant due to its thick, you guessed it, wax-like leaves. A tricolor Hoya Carnosa is recognizable by the color of these waxy leaves. Green, white and pink, this variety of hoya has pink stems that branch out into colorful leaves. Wax plants have beautiful, long slender stems covered with thick, glossy, succulent leaves. It is popular as a houseplant due to its attractive foliage and clusters of sweet-scented, star-shaped pink-white flowers. Wax plants are found vining along with trees and cascading out of available crevices. Owing to their epiphytic nature they have the ability to draw nutrients and moisture out of the warm damp jungle air. These are truly majestic houseplants that are a must-have for any plant collection. Height 2m indoors and 6m in its natural habitat. Soil Chose a well-draining soil mix for this Hoya as you would for most other houseplants. If you mix your soil on your own use a combination of peat moss, vermiculite,...
Read more

GROWING CELERY: How to Grow Celery From the Base

Image
Growing celery from the base of the stalks is a fun, easy garden project that produces fast results. There are two ways to do it: using just water in a container or planting the base in potting soil. You might get more leaves than stalks when growing celery from its base, and your celery might not be as big as a store-bought bunch. However, there are great ways to use celery leaves in cooking. Not only is garden celery better-tasting than store-bought types, but also it’s less chemically laden. In cool spring and summer regions, plant celery in early spring. In warm spring and summer regions, plant celery in mid to late summer for harvest in late autumn or early winter. Think of them as an herb: They taste like mild celery and work well in soups, stews, and more; some people even use them as a substitute for cilantro. Here’s our advice on sowing, growing, and harvesting celery.  WHAT IS CELERY? Celery is considered both a vegetable and an herb belonging to the genus Apium and the f...
Read more

Boston Fern Care: How To Care For Boston Fern

Image
With its lush green leaves, the Boston fern (Nephrolepis exaltata) is a very popular indoor houseplant. They can look like they are on death’s door, and then come back to life quickly with a bit of care. This species of fern is a part of the Nephrolepis genus, popular after its discovery in 1894 within a batch of Sword ferns. Ferns might have a reputation for being fussy, but they are truly very hardy plants. Boston Fern Care Boston ferns appreciate a little TLC. They like warm and humid conditions. And they don’t enjoy temperature extremes, either outside or from drafts, air conditioners, and heating vents indoors. It’s important to maintain stable growing conditions for Boston ferns, as an element to their care that’s out of whack can quickly damage the plant. Light Boston ferns do best in bright, indirect light. Too much shade can result in sparse fronds that aren’t their typical bright color. And too much sun can burn the fronds. So both outdoors and indoors, make sure direct sunli...
Read more