Oxalis

From BonsaiWIKI

Oxalis, ©Jim Stasz, used with permission of USDA

Also known as Clover or Sorrel, Oxalis is probably the ideal bonsai weed. It's invasive and well adapted to container culture. A plant with a root system practically designed for bonsai pots, it can spread by runner or seed and withstand your attempts to remove it by keeping a tuberlike bulb underground. Oxalis produces yellow flowers from small, underground bulbs. Windblown seeds are distributed by the thousands, but once established, it spreads most rapidly by runners just below the soil line. Oxalis can quickly cover the entire surface of the soil if left unchecked.

Removing Oxalis

• Repotting is the ideal time to find and remove oxalis, or replace the top inch of soil periodically, brushing it away from the surface roots to expose the oxalis runners.
• Trace leaves back to the runners and pull them carefully, or they will break and leave a bulb behind that will start the process anew.

Pictures of Oxalis

• http://plants.usda.gov/cgi_bin/plant_profile.cgi?symbol=OXALI
• http://www.oxalis.50megs.com/weedsp/weedphotos.html

Types of Oxalis

• Oxalis corniculata atropurpurea has purplish red leaves.
• Oxalis corniculata spreads by above-ground runners

Weed Tips

Where do weeds originate? | Weed identification | Weed Management

Common Bonsai Weeds

Oxalis | Irish Moss | Scotch Moss | Liverwort | Annual Grass | Dandelion | Spurge | Milkweed | Thistle | Violet | Moss