Care of the plant Oxalis bowiei or Bowie's wood-sorrel |
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The genus Oxalis, family Oxalidaceae, comprises 600 species of herbaceous plants native to temperate and warm regions of almost all continents. Some species are: Oxalis bowiei, Oxalis articulata, Oxalis pes-caprae, Oxalis triangularis, Oxalis purpurea, Oxalis flava, Oxalis acetosella, Oxalis corniculata, Oxalis gigantea, Oxalis rosea. Common names: Bowie's wood-sorrel, Red-flower woodsorrel, Cape shamrock. This species is native to South Africa. They are perennial herbaceous plants that reach 30 cm (11.8") in height. Fleshy trifoliate leaves with erect peduncles and intense green color sprout from the tubers. The showy flowers appear in groups above the leaves; they can be purple or pink in color. They can bloom from fall to spring; in summer they go to rest. They are used in pots as indoor, greenhouse or terrace plants, in light undergrowths and to create colored spots on lawns. The Oxalis bowiei prefers a very bright or full sun exposure but also grows in light shade. They resist occasional frosts. The soil can be a mixture, in the same proportions, of leaf mulch, peat and coarse sand. Planting is done in autumn. Do not water in summer because they come to rest. The rest of the year they need regular watering, waiting for the substrate surface to dry. Fertilize 3 times with mineral fertilizer: once in autumn, once in winter and again in spring. They do not need pruning but their expansion in the garden must be controlled so that it's not invasive. They are resistant plants to the usual pests and diseases. They are propagated by division of the rhizome in early spring. |
Images of the plant Oxalis bowiei or Bowie's wood-sorrel |
 Oxalis bowiei  Oxalis bowiei  Oxalis bowiei  Oxalis bowiei |