The joy of Oxalis…..
For such a sweet, simple little flower, Oxalis tops my list of a ‘must-have’ bulb in the garden. In fact, I am going to go out on a limb and say that few flowers out-perform Oxalis. That, my friends, is one BOLD statement…..but I am going to stand by it. Here are a few beautiful qualities of this lovely bulb…..
Oxalis is a natural looking clump of 4 leaf clovers. It boasts delicate flowers that rise up above the clump of green cuteness. Oxalis will continue to flower in easy-going temperatures. No extreme heat or hard freezes though…. Oxalis will simply go into flower hibernation (like what I want to do but I can’t.)
Oxalis is a hardy perennial bulb. In fact, it takes a lot to kill Oxalis. Gasoline probably would….but who does that?! My Oxalis collection was brought from my In-law’s house, over 25 years ago. It grew wild in their yard…so I dug it up. My Oxalis has survived countless moves to different soils, and has never once complained. In the hot summer, it will go dormant if it is full sun. If kept in the shade or dappled sun, Oxalis will continue to flower.
Oxalis multiplies readily. Boom. One of my favorite things to do is multiply bulbs to share with garden friends. In one growing season, your beautiful little clump of love will proudly boast several little mini bulbs, that simply pop off the base. Each new little pop-off bulb will form a new plant. Easy to start multiplying your own collection, to create garden borders with Oxalis, or use in planters or terracotta pots with other flowers like Violets, Pansies or trailing Ivys.
Oxalis is yummy……probably a reason you wouldn’t expect for sure!!! But if you garden with children, like I did, it is nice to know which flowers are edible. I was the child who ate everything in the garden…..poisonous mushrooms and peonies, to sucking nectar from lilac blossoms. I was happy to know that when my children inherited my curiosity for flowers, they were safe to eat Oxalis. Somehow, green salad served at dinner was gross, and yet….eating ‘spicy’ clover leaves off the Oxalis plant was cool. All the neighborhood kids ate Oxalis. I just had to laugh.
Oxalis is an early spring bloomer, and a late fall/winter bloomer. This is important because bees are desparate for pollinators during months when few plants are blooming. Your garden will soon be the place where bees go to rejuvenate themselves.
The joy of Oxalis……so many reasons, so little time. I have many more reasons (like the unique varieties of Oxalis) but unfortunately, it is time to get my girls up for school. As always, if you would like your very own start to Oxalis, just email me…..heirloombulbgirl.com All you pay is shipping. The bulbs are my gift. I simply like to share…..
Happy Gardening, my friends!