Sunday 15 May 2011

Oxalis - love it or hate it?

A lot of people think of Oxalis as being a pernicious weed. This number included me until recently. The wild variety - a very resilient and invasive plant - grows wherever it can in my garden, if I let it. Hopefully now that my "front lawn" has gone, the Oxalis will be less in evidence.

I do however have one specimen of a cultivated version. It is a Burgundy Red one.


My daughter Emma gave it to me last year for Father's Day. I thought it had died in the very severe weather we had in December and January, but just recently it has decided to resurrect itself. It's not yet very impressive, but I suspect it will re-establish itself pretty rapidly.


The leaves of this plant are very beautiful - a deep purple rather than a red - with a finish that is almost metallic. Who can dismiss this as a weed???


Although the plant will also produce a mass of small white flowers in the Summer, it is grown primarily for its foliage. As you can see, I am growing it in a container, and I have no intention of letting it roam free.

7 comments:

  1. I think that one is very nice.

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  2. Funny - I was just admiring the oxalis in my garden this weekend. Mine is a winter growing variety and has never become a pest, it confines itself to just one bed and provides the perfect ground cover for my shrubs and bulbs. Love your purple one.

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  3. No sorry, its Marmite to me.... not my thing!

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  4. It's just a case of - if it's in the right place it's lovely.

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  5. Never seen it before... But I like it!

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  6. I like oxalis. I've never seen a purple one before though.

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