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.