How do I care for my Oxalis?

The purple Oxalis is our Luxury (NOT pet friendly) plant of the month for May 2019. Here are the basics you need to know about caring for this plant.

Native habitat
Endemic to Brazil.

Light and position in the home
Avoid direct sunlight. Ideally keep this plant in light shade, but Oxalis also handles lower light well.

Flowers and foliage
The main attraction of this plant is the stunning purple foliage. However, it does produce delicate white flowers. It will usually bloom in summer, but it could be any time of year.

Watering
Water when the first inch of soil is completely dry. Drench and drain, and do not allow to stand in water.

Temperature
Keep below 25 degrees Celcius.

Did you know?
After its colour, the most striking thing about Oxalis is the way the leaves move towards light, and leaves appear to 'close' at night. You will need to turn this plant from time to time, to avoid it leaning too heavily to one side.

The full name for this plant is Oxalis Triangularis, but other common names are False Shamrock, Purple Shamrock and Love Plant, due to the heart-shaped leaves. As the name suggests, they are related to Shamrocks. And you can get green Oxalis plants too.

Oxalis leaves are poisonous to pets - please keep them apart.

Why I chose this plant
I have to confess that Oxalis is a new plant for me. I hadn't ever owned one until Lazy Flora customers started asking me a few months ago whether we could deliver them. I'd heard of them and seen pictures, but had never actually owned one. I then started trying to track one down to experiment with, and found it surprisingly hard! These guys are not widely sold.

I've had mine for a good few months now, and I have to say it's instantly one of my favourites! It's an incredibly satisfying houseplant because it 1) has excellent colour 2) is very easy to care for (it's easy to tell when it needs watering, and 3) I love how the leaves move up and down between day and night. I hope you will love it too.

To get your Oxalis, sign up to our Luxury indoor plant subscription here.