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Oxalis stricta (Common yellow oxalis)
Lynn, Janice

Oxalis stricta L.

Common yellow oxalis, Yellow Wood-sorrel

Oxalidaceae (Wood-Sorrel Family)

Synonyms: Oxalis dillenii ssp. filipes

USDA Symbol: OXST

USDA Native Status: Native to U.S.

A low spreading plant with clover-like, sour-tasting leaves and 1 to several yellow flowers.

With their clover-like leaves, the wood sorrels are easy to recognize. The sour taste of the leaves is distinctive and they may be used in salads, but sparingly, because of the oxalic acid content. The genus name comes from the Greek oxys (sour). This species is a cosmopolitan weed, perhaps originally native to North America. It is especially common as a garden weed. The very similar Upright Yellow Wood Sorrel (O. dillenii), a European introduction, has seed capsules on reflexed stalks. Large Yellow Wood Sorrel (O. grandis) has flowers to 1 (2.5 cm) wide and leaves often with purple edges; it is native and grows from Indiana east to Pennsylvania and south to Georgia and Louisiana.

 

From the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Flower:
Fruit:
Size Class: 0-1 ft.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Orange
Bloom Time: Mar , Apr , May , Jun , Jul , Aug , Sep , Oct

Distribution

USA: AL , AR , AZ , CO , CT , DC , DE , FL , GA , IA , ID , IL , IN , KS , KY , LA , MA , MD , ME , MI , MN , MO , MS , MT , NC , ND , NE , NH , NJ , NM , NY , OH , OK , PA , RI , SC , SD , TN , TX , UT , VA , VT , WA , WI , WV , WY
Canada: NB , NS , ON , PE
Native Distribution: Saskatchewan east to Newfoundland, south to Florida, west to Texas, and north to Minnesota; also in West.
Native Habitat: Prairie, Plains, Meadows, Pastures, Savannahs, Woodlands edge, Opening, Throughout
USDA Native Status: L48(N), CAN(I)

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Low
Light Requirement: Sun
Soil Moisture: Dry
Soil pH: Circumneutral (pH 6.8-7.2)
Soil Description: All soils
Conditions Comments: This low plant is extremely common and has wide distribution in Texas. Seeds out freely and is probably best used in wild areas.

Benefit

Use Food: EDIBLE PARTS: Small amounts of leaves, flowers, seeds, tubers/roots eaten raw are not dangerous. Gather stems and leaves during early spring through fall. Tender stems and leaves can be steeped in hot water. Use liquid as a sour lemonade-type drink. For tea, use a handful of leaves per pint of water. Add to salads for a lemony taste. Cook with greens to enhance mild flavors. Remove stems if too stringy. Use flowers raw in salads or as cooked greens. Add young seed pods to salads or cook with the leaves and stems. Clean tubers and roots and eat raw or cooked with the greens, seeds, and flowers. (Poisonous Plants of N.C.)


Warning: POISONOUS PARTS: All parts. Low toxicity if ingested (no documented cases in humans). Symptoms in grazing animals, when eaten in large quantities, may cause trembling, cramps, and staggering as in grazing animals. Toxic Principle: Soluble oxalate.
Deer Resistant: High

Mr. Smarty Plants says

Edible Native Plants for a Small Austin Garden
March 15, 2010
Hello Mr. Smarty Plants (or Mrs. or Miss, whomever is answering this go'round)! First off, thank you so much for all the help you have given me in the past. Secondly, the company my husband works ...
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From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is either on display or available from the following:

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - Austin, TX
Crosby Arboretum - Picayune, MS

Herbarium Specimen(s)

NPSOT 0342 Collected May 26, 1987 in Bexar County by Harry Cliffe

Bibliography

Bibref 248 - Texas Wildflowers: A Field Guide (1984) Loughmiller, C. & L. Loughmiller
Bibref 328 - Wildflowers of Texas (2003) Ajilvsgi, Geyata.
Bibref 286 - Wildflowers of the Texas Hill Country (1989) Enquist, M.

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Recommended Species Lists

Find native plant species by state. Each list contains commercially available species suitable for gardens and planned landscapes. Once you have selected a collection, you can browse the collection or search within it using the combination search.

View Recommended Species page

Additional resources

USDA: Find Oxalis stricta in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Oxalis stricta in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Oxalis stricta

Metadata

Record Modified: 2013-03-19
Research By: NPC

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