Oxalis triangularis - Purple Shamrock
Oxalis triangularis is a dependable source of red foliage. I grow Purple Shamrock primarily in containers because Oxalis triangularis bulbs tend to be pretty aggressive about reproducing. Many Oxalis species drop very tiny bulbs when you dig them up. I have not had any trouble with this species, but others have given the Oxalis neighborhood a bad reputation. One of the nice aspects of the Purple Shamrock as a container plant is that if they get too dry they are bulbs and they do come back. I have had some issue with rust on the foliage. To counteract this I strip the diseased leaves and try to water without splashing the leaves. The markings on the tops of the leaves are great. The contrast between the tops and bottoms of the leaves interesting and the boldly contrasting white flowers are fantastic as an attention getter. Oxalis triangularis will bloom indoors with strong indirect light.
More bulbs for a California Garden
Dark purple foliage and white flowers of Oxalis triangularis - Purple Shamrock. High resolution photos are part of our garden image collection.
Other plant pages from the genus Oxalis featured on this site:
Oxalis oregana