If you think of oxalis as “conquering” as clovers, think again. Some, very wise, will delight you in the massifs and rockeries. Zoom on three particularly nice varieties!
Oxalis: They are commonly called clovers …
Wrong, because they are not! It is true that their leaves look alike. And then the oxalis, in particular the invasive articulated oxalis, is at least as well known as the clover: it used to give the weather forecast! When the flower opened at dawn, it was fine weather for the day. No longer be surprised to see them at the foot of the front doors of old houses!
There are many species and varieties, each more beautiful than the next.
However, they are used very little. Oxalis, not all invasive, nevertheless have their place in borders, in flower beds and rockeries or in pots, where they bloom abundantly without a minimum of care. They are mainly perennials with a bulbous or rhizomatous strain. Some, like Oxalis adenophylla, are sold with the bulbs in the fall or anytime, in pots.
Plant them preferably in spring, in well-drained soil, in the sun. In the fall, after removing the dried foliage, dig up the less hardy ones to shelter them or cover them with a good layer of mulch. Simply put away those in pots and deprive them of almost water until February.
Three of the “wisest” oxalis
| Dimension / Rusticity | Leaves | Flowers | Our opinion | |
| Oxalis adenophylla | Forms a cushion 5 to 10 cm high. Very hardy, the bulb can remain in the ground without protection and withstand up to -20 ° C in drained soil. | Round, 1 to 2 cm long, cut into numerous narrow leaflets, light green with bluish tints. | White, veined from pink in the center to lilac pink at the edges, funnel-shaped. In May-June, at full bloom, they are almost flat. | This funny felted bulb can remain in the ground from one year to the next in order to always give more flowers. For poor soils, even limestone, but light. |
| Oxalis depressa (= O.inops) | Native to southern Africa, it resists however down to -10 oc, or even less if protected. Small tufted plant 20cm or more wide and 5cm high. | Divided into three leaflets, gray-green and slightly hairy, with short petioles. The flowers sometimes end up covering them. | Bright pink with a yellow heart, from June to August, they have a funnel shape. When open, they are wider than the leaves. | It behaves very well in pots and rockery. Place it in the sun so that it blooms profusely. |
| Oxalis triangularis ‘Aterpurpurea’ | From 15 to 20 cm high. Although native to South America, it has withstood the cold of the last winters, in a sheltered situation, under a thick mulch of dead leaves. | Divided into three large leaflets but each in the shape of a butterfly. Dark purple, marked with violet in the center of each leaflet. | Small, pinkish white to pale lilac, they follow one another from May to August or later still, on the veranda. They contrast nicely with the foliage. | Perfect in pots but possible in the ground. If the foliage dries up after flowering, there is no need to water it excessively: the plant goes dormant. |
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