Oxalis violacea
Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- oks-AL-iss vy-oh-LAH-see-uh
- This plant has low severity poison characteristics.
- See below
- Description
-
Violet Wood Sorrel is a small, herbaceous, perennial, wildflower native to North America and often found in open woods, river banks, rocky ground and prairies. It reaches a mature height of 9 inches with an equal spread. The long stemmed leaves and leafless flower stalks rise from a buried bulb and it produces showy pink to lavender flowers in spring with often a repeat bloom in the fall. The genus name comes from the Greek meaning "acid", "sour" or "sharp", in reference to the taste of the leaves. The species name means violet.
Violet Wood Sorrel does best in medium, well-drained, occasionally dry soil sited in full sun, but will tolerate partial shade. The plant is propagated from a scaly-coated bulb that is planted in the fall for flowering the following year. Once established, it can spread rapidly by runners from the bulbs and, if conditions are right, it will form large colonies.
Violet Wood Sorrel can be used as a flowering ground cover or as an ornamental. Ingesting Violet Wood Sorrel can be toxic for livestock. However, it does not seem to be a problem for humans and some add the leaves to salad.
Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems:
No known diseases or insect pests.
- See this plant in the following landscape :
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- Tags:
-
-
Attributes:
- Genus:
- Oxalis
- Species:
- violacea
- Family:
- Oxalidaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Bulb
- Perennial
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Division
- Seed
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Central and Eastern United States, Northern Mexico
- Distribution:
- Introduced to some western states and Puerto Rico.
- Edibility:
- Edible in small quantities. The leaves should not be eaten in large amounts because they contain oxalic acid that can lead to nutritional deficiency. The quantity of oxalic acid will be reduced if the leaves are cooked. Can aggravate the condition of people with rheumatism, arthritis, gout, kidney stones or hyperacidity.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 0 ft. 6 in. - 0 ft. 9 in.
- Width: 0 ft. 6 in. - 0 ft. 9 in.
-
-
Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Herbaceous Perennial
- Native Plant
- Poisonous
- Weed
- Wildflower
- Habit/Form:
- Clumping
- Creeping
- Erect
- Spreading
- Maintenance:
- Low
-
-
Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Shallow Rocky
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Occasionally Dry
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
-
-
Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Fruit Type:
- Capsule
- Fruit Description:
- Slender pointed seed capsules split into 5 sections, sometimes ejecting the light brown seeds several inches.
-
-
Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Green
- Orange
- Pink
- Purple/Lavender
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Umbel
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Summer
- Flower Shape:
- Bell
- Flower Petals:
- 4-5 petals/rays
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- Five parted, variably colored flowers can be white, yellow, lavender, or rose. The flowers rise on stalks above the leaves. Each umbel has 2 to 5 flowers on slender pedicels, although only 1 or 2 flowers per umbel are in bloom at the same time. The flowers are about 1/3 of an inch across. Each flower has 5 lavender or pale purple petals, 5 light green sepals, 5 inserted stamens with yellow anthers, and an ovary with an inserted style. Near the throat of the flower, the petals become greenish white with converging fine veins.
-
-
Leaves:
- Leaf Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Green
- Purple/Lavender
- Leaf Type:
- Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 3-6 inches
- Leaf Width:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Description:
- Small clusters of 4 inch long green, trifoliate basal leaves on long petioles emerge directly from the ground. Individual trifoliate leaves about 1inch across open up during the day. Each leaf consists of three obcordate leaflets with smooth margins. The leaves may turn purple in cold weather or strong sunlight. Both the upper and lower leaflet surfaces are hairless.
-
-
Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
-
-
Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Houseplants
- Lawn
- Naturalized Area
- Slope/Bank
- Landscape Theme:
- Native Garden
- Rock Garden
- Design Feature:
- Border
- Small groups
- Attracts:
- Bees
- Songbirds
- Problems:
- Problem for Cats
- Problem for Dogs
- Problem for Horses
- Weedy
-
-
Poisonous to Humans:
- Poison Severity:
- Low
- Poison Symptoms:
- All parts of the plant have toxic potential, although the possibility of serious effects is usually limited to ingestions of large quantities. Consuming Oxalis species can produce colic in horses, and kidney failure is possible if significant amounts are eaten. Caution: large quantities may cause trembling, cramps, and staggering for grazing animals.
- Poison Toxic Principle:
- Soluble calcium oxylates
- Causes Contact Dermatitis:
- No
- Poison Part:
- Bark
- Flowers
- Fruits
- Leaves
- Roots
- Sap/Juice
- Seeds
- Stems
